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Showing posts with label pasta recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pasta recipe. Show all posts

Friday, August 14, 2015

Relishing Springtime with Pasta Primavera Reloaded !!!

1977 - A famous restaurant in New York. And an almost famous chef. A customer, who also happens to be an eminent citizen and loyal patron, walks in a few minutes before the closing time. He wants something light and fresh. The chef is in a fix. He casts a look at the almost empty pantry and sighs. He walks over to a window for some inspiration and is stuck by the colors of the spring .

He rushes back to the work station and looks through the fresh veggies that came in the morning. The emerald tones of the Zucchini and the broccoli, the ruby red of the cherry tomatoes and the yellow of the squash cheer him up. Why not put these beautiful colors on a plate along with some pasta and a light sauce? And voila !! Pasta Primavera was born .






















2015 - Lady Multi-tasker is on a break. The man of the house is off to an offsite for the next two days and troublesome five year old has been packed off to spend a fortnight with his grandparents. Yesterday's presentation went off spectacularly and hence she is entitled to a few extra hours of sleep.

But she is up by 7 am. After her daily dose of detox, aka a glass of warm water with honey and lemon juice, she is ready for some power yoga. She had been skipping this ritual for almost a week and hence her limbs protested as she twisted herself into a particularly difficult posture.

After accomplishing the yoga and spending sometime on reading a few pages of 'Go Set a Watchman', she saunters into the kitchen. The domestic help has been given a holiday as Lady wants to do the cooking and cleaning herself. It is a part of her "De-stressing" ritual as she puts it. The fridge is not exactly stocked. She then takes a look at the cupboard and her favorite Delmonte pasta arrests her attention. She cannot help but smile as her thoughts travel back in time. In those first few blissful months after her marriage they would not wake up before 11 am on the weekends and then they would take turns to cook some pasta for brunch. She drew in a deep breath to shoo away the cobweb of nostalgia that had begun to engulf her. It had been a long time since she had stepped into the kitchen except for when she had needed some caffeine while working late.

Picking up the right pasta was a tough choice. Spaghetti happened to be her favorite as she was a sucker for simple sauces. And she instinctively reached for it. But instead on a whim, she picked up the unopened packet of Chifferi Rigati sitting next to it. The grooves would do a better job of holding the sauces. Thank God Del Monte has a pasta for every sauce and every occasion.






































Something light yet delicious and with loads of fiber (read veggies). Her requirement was rather vague but as she stepped out into the tiny vegetable garden, the broccoli heads caught her attention. Her husband was addicted to organic farming and while she would have berated him another day, today she was plainly grateful. There was some parsley growing along the sides and a few bunches of cherry tomatoes hung from the overhead pots. And there was the zucchini that had been inching towards an edible size. Plucking a few of the tomatoes, a head of broccoli, a zucchini and a few curls of the parsley, she returned to the kitchen.

There was some red pepper sitting in the fridge and she decided to throw it in along with the fresh veggies.

As she put a saucepan on the stove to reduce some Balsamic vinegar, another larger pot was filled with lots of water and put to a boil. Keeping an eye on the vinegar, she chopped up the veggies. The water was coming to a boil.The broccoli was thrown in, scooped up a minute later and rinsed under cold water to retain their verdant glory. By then the reduction was also ready.

After throwing in a handful of salt, the pasta was also dropped into the same pot. After 5 mins, a wok was put on the other burner. A generous amount of a good quality EVOO was her weakness. The chopped garlic was thrown in into the cold oil itself to extract maximum flavor. The veggies meekly followed suit.

She scooped up a bit of the pasta and popped it into her mouth. Umm. It was cooked perfectly. Al-dente. With just the right amount of bite left to it. Saving some of the pasta water, she promptly drained the pot into a colander. Giving it a quick shake, she tossed the pasta over the veggies and sprinkled some of the pasta water into the wok to infuse the pasta with the vegetable juices. A quick stir was followed by the balsamic reduction, a wee bit of Demerara sugar, salt and the zucchini strips. Finishing it off with some chillis flakes, freshly ground pepper and dried oregano to add that extra zing, she tossed the pasta onto a plate. Garnishing it with some chopped parsley and pouring out a glass of chilled wine to go with it, she sauntered onto the terrace to enjoy the labor of her love aka 'Pasta Primavera Reloaded'.




















Pasta Primavera Reloaded

Preparation Time - 20 mins
Serves - 1

Ingredients -
  • 100 gms Chifferi Rigati
  • 1 cup broccoli florets
  • 1/3 cup red bell pepper (cut into 1 1/2" long strips)
  • 7-8 cherry tomatoes (halved)
  • 1 small zucchini (peeled and cut into thin strips)
  • 2 chopped garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp chili flakes
  • 1/3 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp + 1 tsp EVOO 
  • salt (about 1 1/2 tsp)
  • 1/2 tsp Demerara sugar 
  • 1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar ( to be reduced to about 3-4 tsp)
  • parsley for the garnishing

Preparation -

Preparing the Balsamic Vinegar reduction - Take 1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar in a thick bottomed saucepan. Let it simmer on low heat. Keep stirring constantly till it thickens and just about 3-4 tsp of the liquid remains. Remove from heat and keep aside.

Cooking the Pasta -  Take about 5 liters of water in a saucepan. Wait till the bubbles begin to rise. Then add quite a bit of salt so that the water tastes almost like sea-water. Once the water gets to a rolling boil, throw in the pasta.

Give it a stir every 3 mins to prevent from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook the pasta till it is al-dente.

Scoop up a cup of the pasta water and keep it aside for later use. Transfer the pasta to a colander and give it a shake.

Blanching the Broccoli - Immerse the Broccoli florets in boiling water for a minute or two. Strain and wash under/put into cold water for another 2 mins.

Getting it all togather -  Put a wok on the burner. Pour the olive oil into it and throw in the chopped garlic. Once the garlic turns fragrant, add the blanched broccoli and stir fry for 2 mins before adding the other veggies.

After a minute, add the pasta and 2-3 tsp of pasta water. Stir fry for 2 mins or till the water disappears. Then add the reduction, Demerara sugar, a pinch of salt and zucchini strips. Up the heat for a few seconds while giving the pasta and the veggies a quick shake.

Season with freshly ground pepper, chilli flakes, dried oregano (rub it between fingers before adding) and switch off the flame.

Finally garnish with some chopped parsley and serve hot !!


















A quick pictorial recap is shown below -











































Trivia - Did you know that zucchini flowers are perfectly edible ?? Next time you have some on hand, do not hesitate to throw them into your pasta.



















A special thanks to Del Monte India .

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Roasted Peppers Pasta (with Sambar masala)

This is my second entry for the Indusladies Kid's Lunchbox event. Most kids love pasta given that it is paired with the right kind of sauce. A sweet, tangy one with a hint of chili works well with the little ones. Red peppers (especially roasted ones) have a natural sweetness to them and are a popular choice for making pasta sauce. Roasted peppers with herbs and cheese, roasted peppers with balsamic vinegar, roasted peppers with tomatoes, roasted peppers with red wine. These are just a few of the varieties that one can find over the internet. While I have tried some of them, my son's current favorite (and mine too!!) happens to be one with sambar masala. Yeah, it might sound strange but it is a real good combination. But in case you are skeptical about it, leave out the sambar masala and add some good old processed cheese in it's place.

Read on for the recipe -






Sending this as a contribution to the Indusladies event 100 Kids Lunch Box Recipes. Check out more details here - http://www.indusladies.com/food/kids-lunch-box-recipes/









Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -


  • 1 cup pasta 
  • 1 big red bell pepper
  • 1 medium sized tomato
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1/4 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/5 tsp red chili powder
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp sambar masala
  • 2 tsp rice bran oil
  • salt


Preparation - Roast the pepper on a low flame till the outer skin turns black.

Keep aside till it cools down to a bearable temperature. Peel/remove the blackened skin and chop up the flesh. Discard the seeds.

Finely chop the onions and tomato and keep aside.

Cooking - Bring water to boil in a large saucepan. When the bubbles start to form, add the salt.

Once it gets to a rolling boil, add pasta. Cook till al-dente and another minute extra ( do give a stir 2-3 times in between so that the pasta does not catch at the bottom) on a medium flame. Drain the water ( while preserving 1 cup for the sauce ) and keep aside.

Add 2 tsp oil to a skillet. Add the onions. Fry till they turn translucent. Add the chili powder and coriander powder. Fry for 20-30 secs.

Add the chopped tomato to the skillet and cook till it softens up. Transfer the roasted and chopped pepper to a food processor/mixer jar. Buzz it to get a smooth paste.  Add this paste along with the sambar masala to the skillet. Cook for 2 mins.

Add the pasta. Cook for another 2-3 mins till the sauce thickens and coats the pasta. ( Add a few teaspoons more of the pasta water if the sauce feels too dry )

Serve hot or cold.





















Note - While pasta is supposed to be cooked al-dente, it makes sense to make it a little softer for the younger kids who are reluctant to chew their food.


Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Avocado Pasta ( Vegan recipe )

This is another super simplistic pasta recipes that I stumbled upon while surfing the net. Love cooking pasta on my lazy days as it takes very less effort to put together something so tasty. It is one of those high ROI recipes. If you have a ripe avocado on hand, you will easily find the rest of the stuff that goes with it from your kitchen cabinets.

Read on -






Preparation Time - 10-12 mins

Ingredients -


  • 1 cup durum wheat pasta
  • 1/2 of a ripe avocado
  • 3-4 Italian basil leaves (optional)
  • 2-3 garlic flakes
  • 1 1/2 EVOO
  • salt to taste
  • freshly ground pepper


Preparation - Scoop out the avocado flesh. Roughly chop up and transfer to a blender. Add the garlic flakes, basil leaves, EVOO and a pinch of salt. Ground into a smooth paste.

Cooking - Boil water in a large saucepan. Add salt once you can see the bubbles coming up.

Throw in the pasta as it gets to a rolling boil. Cook till al-dente.

Drain off the water from the pasta ( but retain about  1/2 a cup for thinning the avocado puree if required ).

Transfer the pasta to a dish. Add the avocado puree and 2-3 tsp pasta water. Sprinkle freshly ground pepper. Toss up and serve immediately.

Tastes best when warm. (Do not re-heat)


















Note - One can also add a bit of tang by mixing 1/3 tsp lemon juice/sour cream/hung yogurt with the puree.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Chifferi Rigate in two-tomato sauce

[Pasta facts - Did you know that Durum wheat has a yellow endosperm, which is what gives pasta its distinctive color ?? Also, Durum is a high protein but low gluten variety of wheat which makes it a healthier option as compared to other wheat variants.]

As the name suggest this is an easy sauce which has the smoky flavour of roasted tomato and the juicy tang of the fresh one. With some garlic and basil thrown in for adding more flavour, one can choose to omit the heat ( but i prefer chili flakes too along with the usual freshly ground pepper in mine).

Read on for the easy recipe -







Preparation Time - 12-15 mins


Ingredients -


  • 2/3 cup chifferi rigate pasta
  • 2 medium sized ripe tomatoes
  • 3-4 garlic flakes
  • 5-6 Italian basil leaves
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp chili flakes
  • a dash of freshly ground pepper
  • salt for the pasta water

Cooking - Boil 6-7 cups water in a large saucepan. Once it gets to bubble, add enough salt. As you put the pasta water to boil, start roasting one of the tomatoes on a low flame. It should be done by the time your pasta is ready.

Add the pasta next and cook it till al-dente. (that is it should be cooked yet firm)

Drain the pasta while reserving 1 cup of the pasta water for adding to the sauce.

Skin the roasted tomato, dice and add to a food processor jar. Dice the fresh one and drop into the same jar. Add olive oil, chili flakes, basil leaves and a few teaspoons of the pasta water. Buzz for a second or two so that you get a numbly/coarse sauce.


















Toss the pasta along with the tomato sauce adding a little more pasta water if required.

Dig in.

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Spaghetti al Limone

I love paste recipes that are simple and light with just the right amount of spice. That is why I was delighted to come across the recipe for pasta al limone, i.e., pasta seasoned with lemon. But when I looked up still more, I could find wide discrepancies in the seasonings used in most recipes with the exception of perhaps olive oil, cheese, lemon and basil ( just one recipe used parsley ). So, I added a bit of my own to it. Cheese, lemon juice and mayonnaise with a hint of basil make for the most mind-blowing combination is what I discovered in process.

Read on for the recipe -















Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -

  • 150 gm spaghetti
  • 2 garlic flakes (finely chopped)
  • 4 tsp olive oil
  • 1/5 tsp chilli flakes
  • 3 tbsp grated cheese
  • 1 1/2 tbsp mayonnaise
  • juice of one lemon
  • grated rind of one lemon
  • 7-8 fresh Italian basil leaves
  • freshly ground pepper as per taste
  • salt to taste


Preparation - Take the chilli flakes, cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon rind, 1 tsp olive oil and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk together.


Cooking - Boil 8-9 cups water in a large saucepan. Add salt when it comes to a boil. As it gets to a rolling boil, throw in spaghetti. Cook for 12 mins or till aldente ( stir 2-3 times in between ).

After the spaghetti has cooked for 9-10 mins, heat a wok. Add the olive oil and as it warms up, throw in the garlic pieces. Allow it to just turn light brown. Remove and keep aside.

Drain the spaghetti while retaining about 1/2 cup of liquid. Add some of this liquid to the mixing bowl containing the cheese-mayo mix.

Transfer the spaghetti back into the saucepan. Add the olive oil-garlic and toss a bit. Add the contents of the mixing bowl along with some basil leaves and crushed pepper. Toss well.

Serve immediately.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Spaghetti Al Pesto

Simple and frugal is sometimes the best. And i feel that in case of all the pasta recipes that I have worked on/tasted, this is the thumb rule. I would never have thought of combining basil with ingredients olive oil, garlic and cheddar cheese I had I not stumbled on this recipe. And was quite skeptical to begin with. Another reason why this post got delayed. The primary was that I could not find a good Parmesan and pine nuts to begin with. But a recent recipe that I caught on the cookery show convinced me that I could use a Cheddar-walnut combination to make this recipe. And that the basil can be partly substituted with baby spinach. But I stuck to the basil bit. And haven't regretted it a bit.

Read on for the delightfully easy recipe (while I ponder what to do with the leftover pesto....BTW it is sitting pretty in my fridge covered with a generous layer of EVOO). But for those with a nut allergy, do try out Nigella's Pasta Alla Genovese -



















Preparation Time - 15 mins ( Not a min extra...mind it )

Ingredients -


  • 150 gm durum wheat spaghetti
  • 1 cup lightly packed Italian basil leaves
  • 1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive oil
  • 1/3 cup lightly toasted walnuts
  • Juice from 1 lemon
  • 2 garlic flakes
  • 7-8 peppercorns (freshly crushed/ground)
  • salt to taste


Preparation - Chop the garlic flakes and basil leaves.

Take all the ingredients (except for lemon juice and EVOO) in a blender and buzz till you break it all into small bits. Add the lemon juice and EVOO in a trickle till it is well incorporated. The pesto is now ready.

(Actually the quatity will be good enough for two times with a little bit leftover for a chicken and pesto sandwich. Make sure you add a layer of EVOO over the pesto when storing it in a airtight container in the fridge. )

Cooking - Boil 9-10 cups water in a saucepan. When bubbles begin to appear, add sufficient amount of salt to the water. Once it gets to a rolling boil, add the spaghetti.

Cook for 12 mins or till al-dente. Remove 2-3 tbsp of the water and add it to the pesto.

Drain the water in a colander, give it a good shake and toss back the spaghetti into the same vessel in which it was cooked. Add the diluted pesto and toss to uniformly cover the spaghetti strands.

Serve immediately or even after sometime. Tastes good even when served cold.


















Note - It takes about 2 litres of water and 1 tbsp of salt to cook 200 gm of spaghetti in the right way.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Farfalle Aglio et Olio

The simplest pasta recipe ever. And I did not even know that it had a name before I read it on Priya's blog. Usually made by me when I am feeling too lazy or low, this one sure perks me up every time. While I do add some grated cheese to it, have skipped it this time as the original do not call for it. And while the fresh parsley is an integral part of this recipe, I seldom have it (or any other herb for that matter) in store when I cook up this pasta. Have to rely on my sun-dried herbs (Keya brand) most of the time.

Read on for the recipe -






Preparation - 12 mins

Ingredients -


1 cup farfalle paste
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3-4 garlic flakes (chopped fine)
1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
1/4 tsp dried parsley/mixed herbs/pizza seasoning
salt


Cooking - Boil 6-7 cups of water in a large saucepan. When it starts bubbling, add sufficient salt.

When it gets to a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook for 12 mins.

When the pasta has been cooking for about 8 mins, put another pan/wok on the flame. Add olive oil to the wok and allow it to warm a bit. In the meanwhile, drain the still al-dente pasta and keep aside.

Add the garlic flakes and saute till they give off their smell. Add the farfalle along with the chilli flakes and dried herbs. Saute for 2-3 mins.

Remove from wok and serve hot.

.


















A little bit of cheese adds a lot to this simple recipe. Include it if you wish.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Pasta in Mango Sauce

I have come across a lot of people who are totally clueless when it comes to preparing pasta. They believe that pasta needs to be smothered in a whole lot of cheese and sauce. And they somehow end up choosing recipes that are unnecessarily complicated and lengthy.

But the reason I love pasta is its simplicity. For me it is something akin to roti. Quickly rustle up a subzi or get some yogurt and you are good to go. A simple marinara sauce or some mayonnaise-yogurt combo with pasta does it for me.  Hence I am forever on the lookout for such super simple recipes. This time I had some ripe mangoes and red peppers sitting in the fridge and I decided to incorporate them in my pasta. Added some raw mango for that extra zing and I loved the end results. A beautiful dish which was quite something on the tongue. Eureka...I had discovered another summery pasta recipe.

[Did you know ?? - White spaghetti made from Durum wheat  and boiled for 12 minutes has a GI of 34 which ranks it among the low GI foods. But when it is boiled for more time, for example 20 mins , the GI value increases to 58.]

Read on for the recipe:

















Preparation Time - 15-18 mins

Ingredients -

1 cup farfalle pasta
1 cup peeled and diced ripe mangoes
1/3 cup thinly sliced red bell peppers
1 tbsp grated raw mangoes ( u can also use paste instead)
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
3-4 finely chopped garlic flakes
2 pinch oregano
1 1/2 tsp Fortune Rice Bran oil
salt to taste


Cooking - Bring 7-8 cups of water to boil in a saucepan. Add enough salt so that the water so that it tastes too salty. Once it gets to a rolling boil, add the pasta. (Depending on the brand it takes 12-15 mins to become al-dente. Do give a stir 2-3 times in between.)

Once the pasta has cooked for 7-8 minutes, heat a wok. Add the oil. Once oil has warmed, add the garlic and allow it to turn a light brown.

Add the chilli flakes and wait for 10-15 seconds before adding the raw mango. Stir for 1-2 minutes and then add the ripe mango cubes/chunks. Cook for a 4-5 minutes till they become mushy.Sprinkle the oregano.

By this time, the pasta would be done. Strain the pasta while retaining a few tablespoons of the water used to cook it.

Add the pasta to the wok along with the red peppers. Give it a shake of two and cook for 1 minute. Add a little of the pasta water if its getting too dry. Remove from the wok.

(The flavor of the ripe mango is reduced while being cooked. Mix in more ripe mango while serving.)

Garnish with a few mango slices and serve immediately. (But it tastes good even when cold)




















Note - Using the pasta water in the sauce has a dual purpose. It adds saltiness and the starch content in it acts as a binding agent which ensures that the sauce binds well with the pasta.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Spaghetti Alla Marinara

Recent showers have cooled down Bangalore and given a respite from the sweltering afternoons. And it has also given me the chance to indulge in some of my favorite dishes which I had given up as I did not feel like spending time in the kitchen.

Spaghetti Alla Marinara is an Italian style tomato sauce which makes use of tomatoes, onions, garlic and some herbs like oregano, basil and parsley. It is mostly used in combination with seafood and pasta. Literally it means 'Mariner's spaghetti but the original recipe had nothing to do with seafood. It was just a dry preparation which relied heavily on the acidity of the tomatoes to preserve the dish for a few days while the menfolk were at sea. It also uses wine (which is also a preservative) to add some sweetness to the dish. Quite easy but requires about 15-20 mins of cooking to get the sauce right. Choosing the right vessel is also important for this dish. Use a thick bottomed skillet/frying pan instead of a saucepan while cooking the sauce.

One of the simplest paste sauces I have ever come across, this makes me wonder why people believe in drowning their paste by adding so much cheese and cream. Read on for the yummy recipe:







Preparation Time - 25 mins


Ingredients -


  • 100 gm spaghetti
  • 2 large ripe tomatoes (blanched)
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste (one can use a little ketchup instead)
  • 2 tbsp+1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium sized red onion (chopped into small thin pieces but i left them long)
  • 3-4 garlic flakes (chopped or crushed)
  • 1/2 - 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp parsley
  • a few fresh basil leaves (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar (optional)
  • salt to taste



Preparation - Crush the tomatoes.

Cooking - Heat a skillet or frying pan. Add 1 tbsp olive oil. When the oil is warm, add the garlic. Fry till it turns light brown.

Add the crushed tomatoes along with the dried herbs and chilli flakes. Add salt.

In a separate pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the onions and fry till translucent. Add the fried onions to the skillet/frying pan containing the tomatoes. Cook the sauce on medium heat.

Boil water in a large saucepan. Once the bubbles start showing, add salt generously. As soon as it gets to a rolling boil, add the spaghetti.

Boil for 12-13 minutes till al-dente. Drain excess water. Add 1 tsp of olive oil, toss gently and keep aside.

By this time, the sauce would be ready. Stir in the white wine vinegar. (If you find it too dry add some hot water by the teaspoon. If it is too watery turn up the heat for 2-3 minutes.)

Transfer the pasta to a plate/dish. Put some sauce over it and dig it . (No fancy plating/garnishing required for this recipe. Just plain old good food.)



















Note - Normally the tomatoes are peeled and pureed after blanching to get a smooth paste. But as I like the coarse texture of this sauce, I have omitted this step.

One can also add some sauteed prawns/octopus/squid to this recipe if you prefer seafood pasta.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Minty Farfalle-Potato Salad

As much as I love pasta, I find it difficult to cook/eat some during the hot summers. Even if the sauce is a no cook one like in case of Sicilian Pasta, it leaves me all hot and stuffy. But the last time I made some chilled potato salad, it stuck me that if i could add some cooked pasta to it and throw in a few other raw veggies, then I would have a salad cum complete meal on my hands.

Also, it is served chilled which is very soothing in the heat. I have omitted ingredients like garlic and pepper as they cause a lot of heat and are best avoided during the summers. Add some bell celery/peppers/broccoli to make it more colorful and healthy.Read on:






















Preparation Time - 20-25 mins (15-18 mins is standby time)

Ingredients -


  • 1 cup Farfalle (uncooked)
  • 1 medium size potato
  • 1 small cucumber
  • 1 cup roughly chopped lettuce
  • 8-10 mint leaves (roughly torn)
  • 1 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp hung curd
  • 1/4 tsp paprika/red chilli powder
  • 2 pinch chili flakes (optional)
  • 2 tbsp grated cheese (optional)
  • salt to taste


Cooking - Bring 7-8 cups of water to a boil. Add sufficient salt to it so that it tastes quite salty.
Add the pasta and cook till tender ( for a cold salad it is better to overcook the pasta as it tends to harden a bit in the fridge...so make it a bit more than just al-dente). Mine took 15 mins to cook.

Drain and keep aside. Add 1/2 tsp olive oil and toss to prevent them from sticking to each other. Allow to come to room temperature.

Cook the potato for 1-2 whistles at the same time. Remove from pressure cooker once steam is released and allow to come down to room temperature(put in cold water to expedite the process). Peel and cut into small cubes.

Peel and chop cucumber into similar sized small pieces.

Take the mayonnaise, olive oil, hung curd, paprika, salt and grated cheese in a mixing bowl. Gently whisk to mix all of it.

Add the farfalle, potato, cucumber and lettuce to bowl. Mix and evenly coat all the ingredients. Put in the fridge for 15-20 mins to cool a bit.

Sprinkle some chili flakes and serve cold.





















Note - Replace the mint with parsley/basil and you have another quick and easy variation. It does make a huge difference in taste/flavor.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

One of the simplest and most elegant spaghetti recipes that I have come across, it takes time to master. But the payoff is excellent and totally worth it. One can add fried bacon, chicken or even veggies to make it a wholesome meal. Read on for the recipe:





Preparation Time - 12-15 mins (Or a long as it takes for the spaghetti to be cooked aldente)

Ingredients - 100 gm spaghetti, 1 egg + 1 egg white, 1/2 cup grated cheese (preferably one that melts easily), 1/4 cup warm milk, 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper, 2 garlic flakes, 1 tsp olive oil, salt to taste.

Preparation - Chop the garlic into thin slices.

Whish the egg and egg whites togather. Add the grated cheese to it amd mix well.

Cooking - Boil water in a large saucepan. Once it gets to a boil, add the salt.

Now add spaghetti. Cook till done yet firm. (Do stir a few times in between to prevent the strands from sticking to each other)

Drain into a colander. (Take care to save about 1/2 cup of the spaghetti water)

Heat a frying pan (Do this just 1-2 minutes before you drain the pasta). Add the olive oil and allow to warm. Add garlic slices and fry till light brown (do not burn).

Transfer the pasta back into the still warm saucepan. Add the egg-cheese mixture along with the warm milk and mix vigorously (and I really mean it). This will transform the egg-cheese into a white sauce that will coat each and every strand of spaghetti uniformly. (If you think the spaghetti is too dry, add some of the spaghetti water and mix further)

Add more grated cheese and pepper. Mix well and serve hot.

















Note - This spaghetti dish tastes best when hot. And the ideal cheese for it is 'Parmesan' but if you do not find some go for cheddar or even mozarella. If you feeling more indulgent, then add cream instead of milk.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Slut's Spaghetti ( aka Spaghetti alla puttenesca aka whore's pasta )

Slut's spaghetti. Now that's not a new term coined by celebrity chef Nigella Lawson. Not that anybody is complaining. Anything for revenge, especially if the person concerned is the current flame of your-ex. And I love her perfect timing, with Valentine's day just around the corner. (Kudos to the paparazzi for picking up a scent as would befit a Police sniffer. The lady in question being none other than Trinny from the 'What not to wear India' on TLC, who I think has definitely got her basics wrong when it comes to Indian dressing.)

The recipe has been around for quite sometime ( since the 60's if I am not wrong ) and one can find quite a versions in cyberspace. One such story goes that the recipe is attributed to the Italian whores who with their uber busy lifestyles did never get around to the markets to buy some fresh produce. Instead they relied heavily on the canned stuff like anchovies, tomatoes, capers and olives. Hence the tangy and predominantly salty flavors.

Quite an effortless dish, it is no connoisseur's delight. Best served for brunch with your gang of girls or even as a lazy dinner for one.


















Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients - 200 gms spaghetti, 12-14 cherry tomatoes, 1 large tomato, 2 garlic flakes, 1/3 tsp chilli flakes, 1/3 tsp peppercorn, 1 tsp olive oil, 1-2 small green mango (pickled in brine), 2 tsp fish sauce, 1 tsp dried parsley.

Preparation - Chop the tomatoes into small pieces.

Similarly chop up the green mango into very small bits. (Larger bits can be quite overwhelming if one bites into them)

Cooking - Bring water to boil in a large saucepan. Add sufficient amount of salt till the water tastes very salty. Add the spaghetti and give it a stir or two in between. Cook till aldente. (Takes 13-14 mins for the Borges brand of spaghetti). Drain off the water while saving 1/3 cup for the sauce.

Start on the sauce once you drop the noodles into the boiling water. Add the olive oil to a wok. Once warm, add chilli flakes and chopped/crushed garlic. Fry for 30 seconds.

Add the chopped tomatoes and cook till they soften slightly. Add fish sauce, crushed peppercorn, chopped green mango and dried parsley. Allow the sauce to reduce a bit.

Drop in the strained spaghetti. Add a bit of the water in which it was cooked. Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes till it soaks up all the flavors. (Add some more water if you feel it to be too dry)

Serve hot.

















Note - The original recipe calls for capers and pitted/Kalamata olives. But I believe in using locally sourced ingredients and I find pickled green mango (or ones preserved in brine ) to be a good substitute.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Sicilian Pasta

I love pasta. And I love it even more if the sauce is a 'no-cooking' one. Caught this on 'Nigellissima' on Fox Traveller last week. The original called for Anchovies and capers but i skipped the former and substituted the latter with tender mangoes pickled in brine. Also I substituted 'Fusilli Lunghi' with my normal Borges Spaghetti.

Read on for the recipe:





Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients - 100 gms spaghetti, 1 very ripe tomato, 7-8 blanched almonds, 2 soaked tsp raisins, 2 peeled garlic flakes, 2 tender pickled mangoes, 2 tsp olive oil, salt for boiling the pasta, fresh basil leaves for the garnish.

Cooking - Boil a large quantity of water in a open mouthed vessel. Add loads of salt to it when it starts boiling ( It should taste 'like the sea' as mentioned in some website whose name I have forgotten ).

Add the spaghetti and cook it till al-dente ( tender but still with a bite ).

Transfer the tomato, raisins, almonds, garlic flakes, pickled mangoes and olive oil to a mixer jar. Grind into a little coarse paste. (I ended up with a little smooth than intended)

Add 2-3 tsp of the boiling pasta water to the grinder jar and pulse 2-3 times.

Drain the pasta and transfer to a serving bowl. Add the sauce on top of it and toss everything together. Strew the basil on top and dig in. (Perfect for one of those lazy days....which are beginning to get just too frequent in my case)


Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Hariyali Pasta ( Pasta with green sauce )


















Preparation time - 15-20 mins

Ingredients - 1 cup paste, 1 cup chopped spinach ( palak, use only the tender leaves with stems chopped off ), 1 medium sized onion, 1 tsp ginger garlic paste, 1 green chilli, 2-3 garlic flakes, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/3 tsp chilli powder, 1/5 tsp garam masala (optional), 2-3 tsp tomato ketchup, 1 tsp oil, 1 small cube of butter, inch of turmeric, salt to taste.

Preparation: Bring water to boil in a pan. Add spinach to it for 3 mins. Drain off and fill with cold water.
Drain and squeeze out excess water from spinach. Also known as blanching, this step retains the green color of spinach.
Chop the onions into small pieces. Slit the garlic flakes along their length into thin slices.

Cooking:
For pasta - Heat sufficient water in a pan. When the bubbles start to come, add pasta and salt. Boil till the pasta is cooked yet firm. Drain all the water in a colander and give it a shake to prevent pasta from sticking to each other.

For the sauce - Heat oil in a wok. Add cumin seeds and allow to splutter. Add chopped onions and saute them for 2 mins. Put in the ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell is gone ( 2-3 mins ). Add the chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala and blanched spinach. Cook for 3 mins.
Allow to cool down. Transfer to a grinder along with a green chilli and 3-4 tbs of water/vegetable stock. Make a smooth paste.

Heat the butter in a wok so that it just melts. Throw in the garlic slices and stir them so that they give off their smell. Toss in the pasta and saute for 1-2 mins. Add the sauce along with the ketchup. Allow the sauce to coat all the pasta.

Garnish with chilli flakes or crumbled ricotta cheese if desired.Serve hot .


Note: Cook the pasta a few degrees softer when preparing for kids. Also reduce the chilli content and cut up the cooked pasta into bite size portions. Sending this to

Guru's Cooking Giveaway Kids Special 2013











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