Sunday, February 23, 2014

Burnt Garlic and Whole Wheat Pasta

Back to my blog after a while. Things  have been crazy at my end. I was super busy cleaning ; cooking; house keeping; and taking care of my baby. Now back to my mom's place for a break!



PASTA  - Had an instant liking towards this dish. The colors on the plate ; the aroma of the italian herbs; the texture of the pasta; the fragrance and taste of olive oil was very new to me. I tasted it for the first time only during my college days.

Never thought I could do pasta at home. I thought preparation of red or white sauce is Cumbersome and I might not get the right  consistentency;  My best friend A taught me a simple recipe called Aglio Olio with pasta minus sauce and I tried that at home. Both K and I liked it. This is a small enhancement to that recipe.

K & I simply love garlic. Both it's flavour and aroma ! So decided to do something with burnt garlic.


Recipe:

Serves 3
Prep time : 10 mins
Cooking time : 15 mins

Ingredients

1 cup pasta (I used fusili ; wheat pasta)
2 or 3 garlic pods chopped
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
3 tsp chilli flakes
1/2 cup capsicum
1 tomato
5 or 6 broccoli florets
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cheese cube grated(I used amul)(optional)
2 tsp Italian herbs (I got keya pasta seasoning)

Method

1. Pressure cook pasta with salt for 1 whistle.
2. In a deep skillet add 1 tbsp olive oil add ginger garlic paste and the garlic pods and sauté it until the raw smell disappears and garlic turns golden brown.
3. Add the diced capsicum; tomatoes and a pinch of salt and saute in a high flame for 2 to 3 minutes. Let the capsicums remain crunchy.
4. Cook broccoli separately in hot water with just a pinch of turmeric n salt. Drain it and add it to the skillet.
5. Drain the pressure cooked pasta in a colander and add it to the skillet.
6. Drizzle 1tbsp olive oil and shower some chilli flakes ; italian herbs and toss it for a couple of minutes.
7. In the end , top it with grated cheese and serve hot.

IMHO this doesn't require sauce or any other accompaniment.

Note:
1. Chilli flakes can be varied based on your spice levels.
2. Since pasta and veggies are cooked separately beware of the amount of salt that goes in.
3. You can replace wheat pasta with millet or normal pasta
4. Garlic's skin can be peeled easily if they are microwaved for 30 to 40 seconds.
5. The veggies that goes in can vary depending on your palette
6. For a vegan recipe ; simply avoid adding grated cheese.
7. Chilli flakes can be made at home. Microwave 3 or 5 chilli for 30 seconds and grind it coarsely


Tidbits

Did you know Garlic




1. Has anti virus and anti bacterial property.  Helps combat food poisoning

2. Reduces blood pressure and cardiovascular problems like heart attacks

3.has anti cancer property

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