And we cooked our Pasta in ‘Mix platter’ style

Taste of Italy!

Pasta is a staple diet for Italians and its finds a respectful place in the Italian history as well.  From October being celebrated as  National Pasta Month,  there is a National Pasta Association too whose members eat, talk and share everything around Pasta.  To my surprise, there are more than 600 types of pasta and some 1400 different names to them. No less, it has been rated as one of the best in world’s favorite foods as per an international survey.  The best part is that I love savoring this Italian beauty- Pasta and I feel proud sharing a unique pasta recipe that can take me there too. Read to know more…

I make a great foodie but not someone who cooks everyday. I enjoy dishing out interesting menus but the recipe has to be far from the mundane. Food for me has to be bright and colorful and cooking to me means a lot of flexibility to experiment. When there is nothing much on the agenda, Pasta in all its forms tops my list to come up with something new and juicy. Pasta meal is a great way to take a break from the daal chawal or roti-sabzi menu.  And if you are not fussy around red or white sauce, I am sure you belong to my gang, the ‘mix platter’ style.

Some Basics always hold good!

• Boil the penne or spaghetti or macaroni such that each shines differently from another (al dente ).
• Dice, Chop, Toss ‘easily available’ ingredients in the pan.
• Do use pasta water left after boiling if you want to make thick sauce.
• Stir light to keep everything intact and sized.
• Refrain from overcooking.
• Pour the sauce over the pasta rather than mixing it randomly.
• Serve immediately!

I told you I love colorful food, I cook my Pasta that way too!

As Delmonte has sent me a packet of Penne Rigate, here is my attempt to Cook, Blog and Fly to Italy. The most beautiful thing about my pasta recipe is that it contains easily available ingredients and has an Indian appeal. The USP are the boiled beans. Yes, married into a Punjabi family, couldn’t think of skipping my Rajma-Chole. I used them in their boiled form.

Chalking out an original Pasta Recipe…

 

Adjusting the measures!

• 350 gms of Pasta
• 3 sticks of butter
• 4 onion peeled and finely chopped
• 3 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 200 gms of broccoli, sliced into small florets
• 1 Red capsicum, finely chopped
• 1/2 bowl of boiled corns
• 1 bowl of pomegranate
• 1/2 bowl of black olives
• 1 Cup of Boiled beans ( Kidney beans, Soya beans and Chick peas)
• 8 garlic cloves,
• 50 gms of ginger
• 3 green chillies
• 3 Tablespoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons of fresh cream

We did it step by step…

• Add  pasta to 3 cups of water.
• Add some salt and oil to the boiling water
• Boil the pasta (al dente), so that it is hard and crunchy! (5-7 minutes)
• Stain the pasta water, keep it aside and put some cold water on the separated pasta.
• Brush it with some oil so that the pasta does not stick with each other.

Next…

• Heat the pan
• Add 3 sticks of butter (equivalent to 3 spoons of oil)
• Add the onions, let them be for 1 minute
• Make a fresh ginger, garlic, chilli paste and add to the pan
• Then add the tomatoes

• Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low.
• Add the capsicum
• Add the boiled corns
• Add the broccoli,  (If you love uncooked broccoli, take it out and put it in a separate plate)
• Add some butter to give a golden shine to the brocolli
• Add Salt and pepper to taste
• Add the boiled beans
• Stir lightly and occasionally so that everything remains intact in its shape and size
• Now, add a layer of fresh cream from the bowl
• Increase the flame and stir
• Add some pasta water if you need a soupy kind of sauce else let it be as we did
• Turn off the burner
• Put the pasta on the plate and serve the sauce on top of it.
• Place the broccoli in the sides and garnish it with pomegranate and black olives
• Later one may also mix the remaining pasta in the pan
• Mix it well and serve hot

And there is a video too to show how we went through it step by step…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XmkNebl1qg

Why I would love to call it ‘Pasta in Mix Platter Style’?

Its important to know why I call it Pasta in ‘Mix platter’ style!

It is very important to know the story behind the cook. I have a broken ankle and am advised immobilization. Standing and cooking in the kitchen is simply out of question. I thought I would have to miss this blogging contest but my family ensured we cooked this recipe and I blogged about it . Yes, being a Punjabi family, we all make great foodies! Second we love traveling. How can we miss the chance to a food tour?

I decided on the ingredients and handed over to hubby. He brought the needful. My mum-in law boiled the beans, corns, pasta as directed. I could only manage chopping the veggies and that I did. Lastly, when we had all put everything together, it was my husband who cooked the pasta in his authetic way.

When he asked me what I would call it, I could only think of ‘mixplatter‘, that’s his Instagram id through which he keeps posting and liking food pictures.  Another reason to call it a ‘Pasta in mixplatter style’ is that it contains the most basic ingredients like beans, ginger, garlic, corns from our Indian kitchen to the exotic bell pepper, olives, broccoli from world kitchens.

Do try this recipe and let me know. Honestly, we loved it!

Happy Cooking!!!