Connecting up flavors and tastes to appease our Compassion.

Pasta is one ingredient close to many hearts and taste buds for various reasons well justified by most of us and seriously taken by a number of us too! Cooking and eating good food not only needs a bit of variation sometimes but also needs to create a bit of interest to try out something which is not regular always and that’s the kind of thinking which makes us go a long way in creating new concepts and concoctions to please our palate!

Cooking with pasta is now pretty much an old story but the newness that comes to it with our ideology is what keeps it right there on the popularity charts for a long time which shall continue in the future also. From kids to teenagers and to all age groups pasta is a good break from routines making it fun and so is enjoying it until the last bite!

My experience with pasta goes back to the times when we only had a couple of basic sauces the white and the tomato which were most common and from the very technique of understanding al dente stage- just cooked or can bite into the stage of cooking pasta to trying it out in fusion variations it has been simply divine and full of wow factors attached to it from the guests I served some really unusual ones.

It is this wow factor that not only enhances the guest experience at a restaurant but also helps us in word-of-mouth publicity on social media as well as getting the guest back for more and most importantly earning his loyalty with us.

Pasta has been known to us in a number of shapes, sizes, patterns, names, and colors as well. They go back to a basic classification of small and long, shapes and plan or stuffed varieties. From the fresh homemade pasta to the machines its journey has been wonderful and chefs around the world have contributed immensely towards its development.

Here are 3 Simple, Easy to Make and Enjoy Pasta Recipes with a little Twist of Taste for all you Foodies to enjoy:

Recipe- 1] MOMENTUM OF PEACE

[Fettucine pasta tossed in an herbed creamy sauce with fresh sliced mushrooms, star anise, and pepper, cooked to perfection]

Ingredients:

Fettucine pasta- 100 gms, boiled to al dente stage.

Fresh sliced mushrooms- 150gms.

For the sauce:

Oil/olive oil-1 tbsp.

Butter- 1tsp

Star Anise- 1 no

Garlic – 1 tsp chopped

Onion- 1 small chopped

Maida- 1 tbsp.

Water/veg stock-2-3 cups.

Salt and crushed black pepper to taste

Mixed herbs & chili flakes to taste

White wine- 30 ml optional

Fresh cream- 60ml

Grated parmesan cheese- 30gms/as per taste.

Parsley- 1 tbsp. chopped

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients for the pasta.

2. Boil the pasta to just cooked stage and keep aside, apply a little oil to prevent sticking or boil it just when the sauce is getting ready and put it in immediately.

3. To prepare the mushroom cream sauce, heat oil and butter in a pan, add in the star anise – this is my additional choice of ingredient here since it goes well with the recipe, it may be avoided as well.

4. Add in the garlic, onions and saute for a few seconds, now add in the mushrooms and saute, add in the flour to thicken up the excess liquid, add in wine if desired.

5. Cook the mixture on a medium flame, add in little veg stock/water and mix, add in the fresh cream a little cheese blend it all well and finally add in the boiled pasta toss well, check for seasonings.

6. Finally serve the dish in a pasta plate, garnish with parsley, olives, cheese and micro greens and serve hot.

Chefs Variations:

The same pasta can be made in a number of ways with a few alterations like adding an Indian style korma gravy with mushrooms, paneer and capsicums.

Try the similar option with boneless cubes of chicken, reshmi malai tikka, add in sliced cooked chicken seekh kababs as well.

For the vegetarians who avoid mushrooms can use colorful bell peppers, broccoli, zucchini, snow peas etc too with their pasta.

Recipe- 2] ORANGE MYSTIQ

[fusilli pasta tossed in a mix of herbs and spicy flavors tomato base with a dash of cream and hint of cheese]

Ingredients:

Fusilli pasta- 100 gms boiled

For the Sauce:

Oil/olive oil- 1 tbsp.

Butter- 1tsp

Garlic- 1 tsp chopped

Onions- 1 small chopped

Tomato puree- 1 cup fresh

Kashmiri red chili powder-1/2 tsp

Paprika/chili flakes- 1 tsp

Salt and pepper to taste

Mixed herbs- 1 tsp or fresh herbs like basil, thyme, oregano.

Refined flour- 1 tbsp.

Veg stock/water- 2 cups

Fresh cream- 2 tbsp.

Grated cheese- 30gms.

Herbs/olives to garnish- 10 gms.

Additional veggie add ons to the pasta- shredded capsicums, boiled corn, broccoli, asparagus, paneer cubes etc.

For non-veg variations: cooked chicken cubes, sliced tandoori chicken or cubes of chicken tikka, fish tikka, tandoori prawns, tandoori lamb chops sliced as well can be used.

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients for the pasta.

2. Heat oil and butter in a pan, saute the garlic, onion saute well until light pink, add in the tomato puree, seasonings, herbs, spices and cook well on medium flame, add little water or stock.

3. Once it starts leaving oil from the sides, add in the fresh cream and mix well, add in the boiled pasta, veggies or non-veg of your choice and cheese and toss well, cook for 2 mins.

4. Serve hot garnished with olives, cheese, fresh herbs and serve.

Chefs Variations:

Try the same recipe with a flavor of kasuri methi- dried fenugreek leaves adding them into the tomato sauce, with a little garam masala powder as well, to slightly Indianise the flavors.

For a denser flavor of fusion, can add a little schezuan sauce to the tomato base sauce and continue with it add spring onion greens as well.

Recipe-3] HARIYALI AUR PASTA

[a simple yet delectable spaghetti pasta tossed in a green sauce with flavors to entice the senses and a feeling of goodness all over]

Ingredients

Spaghetti pasta- 100gms boiled.

For the green sauce:

Fresh basil leaves- 2 cups, stems to be trimmed

Garlic- 1 tbsp. chopped

Chilled water- 2 tbsp.

Olive oil- 4-5 tbsp.

Salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese- ¼ cup

Lime juice- 1 tbsp.

Nuts- cashew Tukda/ almonds/pista/ pinenuts- ¼ cup

To add on into the pasta:

Cherry tomatoes- 4- 5 no-cut 1x2

Sliced olives- 4-5 green/black.

Blanched snow peas- 10-12 nos.

Sliced roast chicken breast/ poached fish fillets/ sliced boiled eggs/ grilled paneer cubes or tofu/ cooked soy chunks/ butter garlic prawns/ malai paneer tikka etc can be combined with this.

Method:

1. Prepare all ingredients for the pasta.

2. Boil the spaghetti pasta and keep aside.

3. In a blender jar combine ingredients for the green chutney and mix well.

4. Remove into a bowl, keep in the fridge until used.

5. If serving immediately toss the sauce with the boiled pasta, add your choice of additional ingredients to add color/flavor and texture.

6. Serve at room temperature or chilled ideally garnish with cherry tomatoes, olives, parmesan or cheese shavings.

Chefs Variations:

To prepare the same green sauce differently I also use blanched spinach leaves with some fresh basil, add roasted peanuts, a bit of ginger, garlic and green chili as well to the chutney and blend it well.

For the pasta, we can toss it in the pan with some olive oil, burnt garlic and chili flakes a little white wine and then add it to the sauce.