PASTA LA VISTA! ITALY AT HOME
THE 30-MINUTE GOURMET
News Paper – Bangalore Times, TOI
Published on - February 27, 1999
Author - RAJ MADNANI
Pasta, glorious pasta. If this sounds familiar, you're right. I wish to continue the pasta saga because there's much to say. There's even more to eat. So, let's get straight to the point.
Before I elaborate on the point, I'd just like to point out that I am talking about macaroni, one of the many pasta shapes available in the universe, and one of the few available here. I wish the Americans (or Italians, or Shettys) would introduce a chain of pasta lovers' restaurants in Bangalore. Anybody can make pizzas, burgers, fried chicken. Pasta requires a certain finesse.
Either you have it or you don't. If you follow this essay carefully, you shall have the finesse. Get the point? Now let's get back to the point of it all, pasta.
Before we really get to the point, please remember that pasta is best cooked about 8-9 minutes in boiling water, until slightly soft, and then washed off in cold water to prevent sticky situations. Just enough of a bite, Al Dente in Italian. Of course, if you like it soft, make it softer by cooking longer. Now back to the main point.
The three store brands of macaroni I reviewed (Savorit, Bambino and MTR, all priced at Rs 8-10 for 200 gms) came with one or two
recipes on the package. Try them, they do sound interesting and Indianised, especially if you like all things spiced. My preference would be to soak the cooked macaroni in a zesty tomato sauce. For additional excitement, drop the macaroni (cooked, please) into the zesty sauce, sprinkle grated mozzarella (Vintage brand) on top, and bake at high until the cheese melts and just starts turning brown. Serve warm, and your little ones will appropriately call it and you, both cool. For a deserving spouse, serve with crushed oregano and red pepper flakes sprinkled on top. Increase the red pepper inside the sauce, if your spouse has annoyed you that day. Make your presence felt, be bold. Make the sauce well in advance, it refrigerates well if kept air-tight. It's zesty enough to be used in pizzas.
Planning an Italian dinner? Make the delicate Italian tomato sauce as prescribed (or the zesty, if you like). Mix in with pasta and toss in grilled chicken or seafood morsels (cooked, please) with a few veggies; separately, make thin slices of eggplant, and shallow fry in olive oil and crushed garlic. Make a small salad, bring out toasted garlic bread. Pour out well chilled Indian red wine important to really chill it to smother the after taste. Serve all together, and Prego! you have a typical Southern Italian pasta dinner. Bono apetito!
Zesty | Italian Tomato Sauce | Delicate
2 Tbsp Olive Oil 2 Tbsp
3 Tbsp Minced garlic 2 Tbsp
700 gms Small, ripe tomatoes 700 gms
1 Tsp Chopped, fresh Oregano
1 Tsp Chopped, fresh Basil 2 Tbsp
1 Tsp Chopped, Fresh marjoram
1/2 Tsp Red Chilly Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
Clean and cut tomatoes into small wedges, don't lose the Juice. Keep aside. Put oil (cooking oil for zesty is okay, but delicate MUST have Olive Oil) in a saucepan over low fire, throw in garlic. Stir gently for 1-2 minutes. Garlic must remain white. Add tomatoes and a cup of water. Simmer uncovered for an hour, adding small amount of water if needed, stirring during commercial breaks. Cool enough so you can sieve tomatoes to remove skin and seeds. Back on the fire, add herbs and chilly and salt, stirring for five minutes or so, until the sauce is thick. Prego! Sauce is ready. Refrigerate in air-tight container for future use.
