Pasta in Creamy Basil Pesto

Ohh I love spring and summer here in Scandinavia for the fresh veggies and greens that comes to the market! Back in India, the change in seasons hardly went noticed – except for very seasonal veggies and fruits like mangoes in summer, jackfruit in rainy season, avrekayi in winter and a few more, there is hardly any change in the availability of other veggies. However, here seasons are a big deal! Everything depends on the seasons and the same goes for the food that you cook due to the availability of ingredients. Of course you get most of the items as frozen these days, but we are more of fresh-food loving people!

So one of the things I look forward to in spring and summer is fresh basil! Oh how I have fallen in love with this herb! I love love it and so does D. So every time we see a bunch of fresh basil, we just greedily grab it! And most of the times it goes into a pesto and then to a pasta, though occasionally there are other experiments with it.

This is one of the pastas that we love – quick, flavorful, wholesome, as rich/dull as you want it, and versatile – do any changes you want and it tastes differently good! It is also good for lunch box (see notes below).

If you’re in a place where you can get fresh basil, don’t miss trying this! Here’s the recipe…

 Pasta in Creamy Basil Pesto 

Ingredients:

Pasta - 200 gms, Penne or any other shape

Onions - 1 medium sized, chopped (optional)

Green chilies - 1, slit (optional – only if you want extra heat)

Olive oil – 2-3 tsp

Full Milk/Cream/Crème Fraiche – 1/2 cup, adjust according to the consistency needed

Cheese – Parmesan / Mozzarella – 3-4 Tbsp, shredded

For the Pesto:

Fresh basil leaves – 1 medium sized bunch

Walnuts or pine nuts – 1/2 cup

Garlic – 1-2 flakes

Olive oil - 1 Tbsp

Pepper powder - ½ - 1 tsp, adjust acc to taste

Salt - ½ tsp or as per taste

Method:

Pesto:

• Pick and wash basil leaves.

• Optionally toast the walnuts / pine nuts slightly – it is ok to use raw too

• In a blender/mixie jar add the nuts, basil leaves and garlic and pulse till coarse

• Add the olive oil, salt and pepper and continue to pulse till almost smooth and scoop out into a bowl

Pasta:  

• Cook pasta as per instructions on the packet, drain and let cool slightly

• Heat 1 Tsp of oil in a pan and sauté the onion with green chilly if using, till they are cooked but slightly crunchy.

• Add the pesto prepared above and bring to a gentle boil.

• Mix in the pasta, adjust salt and pepper

• Finally add the cream/milk to make it slightly saucy – or to the consistency you prefer.

• Garnish with shredded cheese and mix well

Notes:

• Pasta can be just mixed with the pesto and served as is – But I prefer doing it his way and adding some cream so that it is more saucy and gets coated with the pesto well.

• Mixing it ahead of serving time makes the pasta dry. Mix just before serving.

• I make this for D’s lunch box also sometimes. I boil the pesto with cheese and cream and pack the cooked and completely cooled pasta and the pesto sauce separately. He heats it in a microwave and mixes just before eating.

•I also add some veggies like capsicum sometimes to make it healthier and to add a new dimension.

Pasta Salad with Yogurt Dressing

Ohhh... I've been missing here in action, haven't I? Well, blame it on pure lethargy... to write and post :( Though i have a dozen posts in drafts, they are just pics and i still need to do the writing... And just the way I am, I was too pre-occupied with other things that i didn't feel like blogging.

And today, there was a deadline for my next article in VK and I had to write! Writing as I was, i thought why not start posting something on my beloved blog as well and here I am....

This is one other salads that i make quite often, and had not made it to the blog yet. I usually make a salad to accompany a not-so-healthy meal, like pizza / lasagne, etc just so that the guilt is reduced :D. 

So without much rant here's the recipe...

Pasta Salad with Yogurt Dressing

Ingredients:

Pasta - Fusili or any other shape - 2 handfuls
Apple - 1, cored and chopped

Green, red, yellow Capsicum - 1 cup, deseeded and chopped

For dressing:

Yogurt - 1/4 cup

Mayonaise - 4 Tbsp
Olive Oil - 1 Tbsp

Vinegar - 2 tsp, optional

Italian dried herbs - Thyme/Oregano - 1 tsp

Salt                  - ¼ tsp or as per taste

Black pepper powder - ½ tsp or as per taste

Method:

• Cook pasta as per the instructions on the pack, and allow to cool completely
• Core and chop apples; Deseed and chop capsicum. 
• Mix these in a large bowl
• in another small bowl, mix the ingredients for dressing.
• Give a good shake, and add it to the salad
• Mix well and serve

Notes:

• Add the dressing just before serving as the pasta absorbs the liquid and becomes dry.
• If the dressing seems thick, thin it out by adding a little water or buttermilk 

Vegetable Noodles

After introducing my in-laws to Noodles, with the help of this South Indianized Noodles, a fusion recipe with our own traditional flavors going into noodles, this Chinese version also got accepted! Why just accepted, it became a super hit, esp with my FIL! To an extent where he'd want it for breakfast!!

This being one of the most famous Indo-Chinese food, is usually a hit among most people, and especially with kids. Very easy to make, provided you have the things in hand and can be a one pot meal.

We like the flavors subtle, so I add the soy sauce, vinegar and ajinomoto in smaller quantities. Go ahead and increase the quantities if you like stronger flavors.

Here’s the recipe...

Vegetable Noodles

Preparation time : 10-15 min
Cooking time : 15 min
Serves : 4-5

Ingredients:
Chinese Noodles - 250 g
Water - 8 cups
Green chilies - 5-6, as per taste or chili sauce
Garlic - 4-5 cloves
Cooking oil - 2-3 Tbsp
Vegetables (Beans, Carrot, Capsicum, spring onions) - 2 cups, chopped
Onion - 2 medium sized, chopped fine - I didn’t use
Soya sauce - 1 Tsp
Vinegar - 2 tsp

Ajinomoto - a pinch
Salt - 1 tsp or as per taste
Pepper powder - ¼ tsp, optional (adjust as per your taste)

Method:

• In a large pan bring water to boil
• Add a pinch of salt, a few drops of oil and add the noodles
• Cook for a couple of minute till just done - or as per the instructions on the packet
• When done, pour it over a colander to drain the water and separate the noodles with a fork
• Keep aside for 5 minutes to cool
• In a pan, heat oil and add green chilies, chopped onion, sauté till the onion is translucent
• Add the vegetables, sprinkle some salt and let it cook on medium heat
• When almost done, add soya sauce, vinegar and ajinomoto and mix well
• Mix in the spread noodles and add the remaining salt
• Add pepper powder if you prefer it hot
• Mix thoroughly and let the ingredients combine well with the noodles
• Serve warm with a Manchurian or just tomato ketchup!

South-Indianised Noodles!

Don’t you agree that older people are generally hesitant to explore different cuisines and newer tastes? At least I’ve had that experience many a times! We like to explore different cuisines, different tastes, like to experiment with food more often whereas parents and in-laws find it a bit of a challenge to adapt!

While most of the time it is traditional, authentic Indian food that is cooked at home, we sometimes want to have some international food or some other non-native food! Some examples being pastas, pizzas, chinese, etc. Some of the foods will be readily accepted, some will be out-rightly rejected and some need some acclimatization!

One such that belongs to the latter category is Noodles. While we love the Indo-Chinese version of the noodles, the initial few times, it was outrightly rejected. But recently there was some affinity towards it. But FIL was not yet sure about his liking towards the Chinese variety, so he asked me to make a totally Indian version too, similar to our very own Chitranna (err.. should I call it chitra-noodles!?!?!)

Whatever you name it, I divided the cooked noodles into two parts and made this in one part and the Indo Chinese way with the other. And when serving I did serve this first which he did like, and then gave a sample of the other one.

Whew, he asked for a second serving!! When asked which one, he wanted both of them!! And all he had for lunch that day was noodles, though I had made rice and rasam also to be on the safer side! Now I need not worry about the acceptability of another cross cultural cuisine!

Well, did I mention, this version is also equally good, with our own Indian spices going in to give our own taste to the Chinese -noodles?

South-Indianised Noodles

Preparation time : 10 min
Cooking time : 10 min
Serves : 5-6

Ingredients:
Chinese Noodles - 250 g
Water - 8 cups
Green chilies - 5-6, as per taste or chili sauce
Cooking oil - 2-3 Tbsp
Mustard seeds - ½ tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Turmeric - a big pinch
Green Peas - ½ cup
Curry leaves - a couple of sprigs
Fresh coconut - 2 Tbsp, grated
Coriander leaves - abt a Tbsp, chopped fine
Salt - 1 tsp or as per taste

Method:
• In a large pan bring water to boil
• Add a pinch of salt, a few drops of oil and add the noodles
• Cook for a couple of minute till just done - or as per the instructions on the packet
• When done, pour it over a colander to drain the water and separate the noodles with a fork
• Keep aside for 5 minutes to cool
• In a pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds and allow to splutter
• Add urad dal, slit green chilies, curry leaves and sauté
• Add green peas and let it cook till tender
• When almost done, add turmeric, grated coconut and salt and mix well
• Mix in the spread noodles and chopped coriander leaves
• Mix thoroughly and let the ingredients combine well with the noodles
• Serve warm!

Spinach Pasta - Pasta in Green Sauce!

Can you believe I got the idea of this recipe when in dream? Yeah! I was sleeping, may be semi conscious and I suddenly got this idea of a green pasta.... made of palak.... And trust me I made the dish step by step with a full fledged imaginary recipe in the dream itself! And I kind of had the taste too.... I was surprised for sure when I woke up, and I definitely wanted to give it a try. Given my increasing passion for pasta of late, I was desperate to try out my own recipe! And I got a chance to make it one evening, even after a tiring day at work. Started out on the same recipe that I had used in my dream, and well, it did come out well, as expected (from the dream!). And folks at home also liked it, given their liking to anything with palak in general....

Do try it out and let me know how you like it....

Pasta in Spinach Sauce

Preparation time : 10 min Cooking time : 15 min Serves : 4 Ingredients: Macaroni Pasta - 200 gms, I used elbows Spinach/Palak - 2 medium sized bunches Onions - 1 medium sized, chopped (optional - I omitted) Green chilies - 1, slit (optional) Garlic - 6-8 flakes (optional) Olive oil - 3 tsp (or any other oil) Butter - 3 tsp Milk - 250 ml All purpose flour - 2 tsp Dried Italian Herbs / Thyme / Oregano - 1 tsp Pepper powder - 1 ½ tsp, adjust acc to taste Salt - ½ tsp or as per taste Garlic paste - ½ tsp Coriander leaves - 1 Tbsp, chopped  (optional) Method: • Cook pasta for 5 minutes or till cooked, in 4-5 glasses of boiling water, adding ¼ tsp of salt and a few drops of olive oil • Drain the water completely and wash the pasta with plenty of running cold water, keep aside for draining • Pick and wash palsk, cook it in a teaspoon of oil till it is done. The color starts turning dark when done. Cool it slightly and then make a fine puree. • Heat 1 Tsp of oil in a pan and sauté the onion with green chilly and garlic, till they are cooked but slightly crunchy. Add garlic paste (optional). • Add the palak puree and bring to a gentle boil • In another pan, add butter and flour and sauté well till the flour starts to turn brown and butter starts separating out of flour • Let it cool for 5-10 minutes • Add half of the milk and mix the flour thoroughly, not letting lumps to form. If there are any lumps, lend it in a blender or with hand • Bring this to gentle boil. The white sauce starts thickening. • When boiling, add the palak mixture, dried herbs, pepper powder and salt and continue stirring. Add remaining milk and water to adjust consistency to be thinner than what you require • After a couple of minutes of boiling, add pasta and mix gently, not to break the pastas • Add shredded cheese and mix well • If the pasta appears to be too thick, add a little more boiled water • Garnish with more dried herbs, and serve hot. Tips n Tricks: • Do not overcook the vegetable, let it be slightly crispy • I used Bambino macaroni (elbows) first time. Next time I replaced it will MTR, but found the latter too delicate. Most of the elbows were broken when cooked. My choice is bambino Variations: • Onion, garlic and ginger garlic paste can be omitted - in fact, I had not used it in my version

Pasta Payasa!

As I started making pasta in white sauce, my MIL started repeating that we could make payasa out of this pasta. Being a semiya payasa lover, I wanted to make it similar to semiya payasa. And off I started my experimentation. This helped me in making a second pasta dish for the event “Pasta Party”, hosted by Jyoti of 'Pasta Party' hosted by Jyoti of http://panchpakwan.blogspot.com/. Here it goes, for the event.
BTW, the payasa turned out to be quite good. And in spite of Dee being averse to payasas, he did have this and said it was good :)

Pasta Payasa

Preparation time : Nil Cooking time : 15 min Serves : 4 Ingredients: Pasta - 2 handfuls / ¾ cup (I used small elbows; any other smaller variety will also do) Milk - 2 ½ cups Sugar - 2 Tbsp, adjust according to your taste Ghee - 1 tsp Raisins - 10 - 12 Cashews - 10 - 12 Method: • Bring milk to boil in a heavy bottomed pan • Once the milk starts boiling, add pasta into it and continue heat in medium to low flame • Stir gently in between, and allow for pasta to cook till done. This will take about 5-7 minutes. Do not overcook the pasta • Add sugar and stir gently • Continue boiling for another 2 minutes. When sugar is dissolved and milk starts thickening to kheer consistency, put off the flame • In a small skillet, heat ghee and roast cashews and raisins till they turn golden • Mix in the cashews and raisins and serve warm or cooled. Tips n Tricks: • Do not overcook the pasta Variations: • A tsp of Badam powder can be added to give a richer taste

Pasta in White Sauce

Ever since I had visited an Italian restaurant a few years ago, I had become a fan of pasta in white sauce. And later when I tried other varieties of pasta in red sauce, I was not so impressed. May be my choice was bad; but pasta in white creamy sauce was something I was drooling for. Sometime ago, when I ordered the newly introduced pasta in WS in Dominos, Dee hesitatingly tasted it first, and then later, I had to literally stop him from finishing it off, and demand my share! And finally, when leaving from there, he dropped in to their kitchen and complimented the cook for the wonderful pasta!

Whew! He too had fallen for it..... Now of course I had to learn how to prepare it myself, seeing him like it so much. The plain Bambino Macaroni that I had bought was just lying in the kitchen shelf for a few weeks. And one fine day, I decided to give it a try and browsed through some sites and as always, finally came up with my modifications and set out to prepare it.

He too got into the kitchen to help me with my new venture. He asked me at least 3 times if I am sure that I can make the white sauce myself, or should he see if it can be bought! Yeah, he hadn’t guessed how simple it was to make the white sauce. And as we started preparing, even in laws were curious and peeped into the kitchen often ;)

It was ready in just a few minutes, and when served, of course, Dee who knew about it, started licking his plate even before it was served for others. In laws too loved it, and believe me or not, both MIL and FIL asked for a second helping! After finishing it off with second helpings for everyone, when I settled down with my plate, I realized how good it was, indeed! It was very close to the taste at Dominos!

The next time I prepared it at mom’s place too, it was the same story. Even my grandma became a fan of it, and the maid, who praised it for more than 3-4 times, finally told my mom, “Akka, you too learn how to make this, from your daughter, and prepare it often!”

Pasta in White Sauce

Preparation time : 10 min Cooking time : 15 min Serves : 5-6 Ingredients: Macaroni Pasta - 200 gms, I used elbows Capsicums - 1, cut into thin pieces Onions - 1 medium sized, chopped (optional - I omitted) Carrot - 2 medium sized, chopped into thin pieces French beans - 10-12, slit and chopped into thin pieces Green chilies - 1, slit (optional) Garlic - 6-8 flakes Olive oil - 3 tsp (or any other oil) Butter - 3 tsp Milk - 350 ml All purpose flour - 1 Tbsp Mixed Italian herbs/ Oregano / Thyme - 1 tsp Pepper powder - 1 ½ tsp, adjust acc to taste Salt - ½ tsp or as per taste Ginger Garlic paste - ½ tsp Grated cheese - 1 Tbsp Method: • Cook pasta for 5 minutes or till cooked, in 4-5 glasses of boiling water, adding ¼ tsp of salt and a few drops of olive oil • Drain the water completely and wash the pasta with plenty of running cold water, keep aside for draining • Heat 1 Tsp of oil in a pan and sauté the cut vegetables with green chilly and garlic, till they are cooked but slightly crunchy • In another pan, add butter and flour and sauté well till the flour starts to turn brown and butter starts separating out of flour • Let it cool for 5-10 minutes • Add half of the milk and mix the flour thoroughly, not letting lumps to form. If there are any lumps, lend it in a blender or with hand • Bring this to gentle boil. The white sauce starts thickening. • When boiling, add the sautéed vegetables, dried herbs, pepper powder and salt and continue stirring. Add remaining milk and water to adjust consistency to be thinner than what you require • After a couple of minutes of boiling, add pasta and mix gently, not to break the pastas • Mix in shredded cheese and mix well • If the pasta appears to be too thick, add a little more boiled milk • Garnish with more dried herbs, and serve hot. Tips n Tricks: • Do not overcook the vegetable, let it be slightly crispy • I used Bambino macaroni (elbows) first time. Next time I replaced it will MTR, but found the latter too delicate. Most of the elbows were broken when cooked. My choice is bambino Variations: • Onion, garlic and ginger garlic paste can be omitted - in fact, I had not used it in my version

P.S. - This dish is participating in the event 'Pasta Party' hosted by Jyoti of http://panchpakwan.blogspot.com/