Rigatoni with crude almond-chilly sauce served with a rocket and rosewater salad

When I want to make a pasta dish, nothing can stop me. Regrettably, I don't have a pasta maker at home, so I have to do with commercially available pasta. Somewhere along the way I will get one of those nice pasta makers, with the fettuccine and ravioli cutter. But for now, I must be content with what I can get.

This sauce is my trademark recipe. And everyone who has ever tasted it has asked me for the recipe. It is a tomato and cream based sauce; but the real heroes are the almonds (or walnuts, whatever suits you). I make many versions of this sauce, but the most quick and crude one, as this, involves no blending and no fine chopping. Everything is just cut up coarsely and simply simmered in a saucepan and poured over cooked pasta. I used rigatoni, but use whatever you have handy- spaghetti, fettuccine, fusilli- basically any pasta. If you are serving this for a dinner party, you could blend the sauce to make it smooth and even. But, for me the crude version fits best; I like the textural effect on my palate.

I used some white wine in the pasta, to de-glaze the saucepan before adding the tomatoes. Again, superb flavour quotient. Make sure that you use a nice rich white wine. Always cook with a wine that you would think suitable to drink. Nothing lesser.

The salad absolutely compliments the pasta. It is not always necessary to serve some sort of bread with the pasta. Try salads instead. That gives you a mixture of hot and soft (pasta) against cold and crunchy (salad); and every good chef will tell you that balanced colours, textures and flavours make a good dish. Also here, the sweetness of the almond sauce is well balanced by the sharpness and slight bitterness of the rocket leaves in the salad. The flavours marry well together, and you have to try it to know what I'm talking about. 

The dressing for the salad is quite the usual; just a few minor tweaks- I used some rosewater, some maple syrup instead of honey, and some white wine vinegar (keeping in mind the white wine in the pasta) instead of the usual vinegar or juice of lime. I served the salad with a dollop of thickened sour cream, which unfortunately, I forgot to add before clicking the pictures. Some of you may find the rocket leaves a bit too tart, and hence the sour cream.

Too much said already. Here goes.
Prep time: 20-30min
Cooking time: 20min
Serves: 2-3 people

Ingredients

Rocket Salad

1 bunch rocket leaves, washed, dried and end of stalks removed

6-10 cherry tomatoes, halved

5-6 black olives, pitted and sliced

1 medium onion, sliced, rings separated and placed in ice water till serving time (this keeps them crunchy)

1 small cucumber, cubed with peel

5-6 almonds, roasted and sliced

3-4 stalks asparagus, pan fried with butter, salt, and pepper; chopped medium

100g thickened sour cream for serving

Dressing for salad

2tsp olive oil

1 tsp rosewater

2 tsp maple syrup

2 tsp white wine vinegar

Zest of half a lime

2-3 cloves of garlic, shredded

Pinch of ground black pepper

Salt to taste

Rigatoni 
150g rigatoni pasta or any other pasta, boiled with salt, drained and tossed with 1tsp olive oil
2tsp olive oil
1 pod roasted garlic, peeled
2-3 dry red chilies
5-6 almonds, room temperature
4-5 leaves of sweet Thai basil,  keep 1 sprig aside for garnish
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
Splosh of white wine
5 medium tomatoes, chopped roughly
1 red bell pepper, chopped medium
50g mild cheddar, grated
50ml full fat milk
A dash of full cream
A pinch of ground black pepper
Salt to taste

Method

Rocket Salad

In a large bowl, add all the ingredients for the salad. Keep refrigerated until serving time. Pour the dressing over the salad just before serving (to prevent veggies from sweating) and toss gently. Serve cold with a dollop of sour cream.

Rigatoni
Coarsely blend the roasted garlic, dry red chilies and almonds. Heat olive oil in a sauce pan. Add the almond-chilly mixture. Stir for 2min until the mixture is slightly golden. Now add the aromatics, the thyme and basil leaves. Use your discretion while adding these, more if you want intense flavours, less if you like it mild. But with fresh herbs, always remember that less is more. Now add a generous splosh of white wine. Allow the spices to simmer for 2 minutes, stirring gently.

Add the chopped tomatoes, pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the tomatoes are completely cooked. At this point, you could take the sauce off the flame, allow to cool and blend to get a smooth mixture. If you prefer to go my way, then just continue to keep the crude sauce on the flame and go on with the rest of the recipe.

Once the tomatoes are done, add full fat milk and cream. Simmer for 2 minutes. Please make sure not to add the cream when the tomatoes are half done, this will just split the cream. Add the red bell pepper, stir for 2-5 minutes. Add the cheddar, and take the sauce off the flame. Pour the sauce steaming hot on a bed of rigatoni, serve with a cold salad.

Mushroom and Pasta Quiche

If you have never made a quiche before, it’s time you try! I’m sure that by now you have mastered the art of making the perfect puff pastry. Now all you got to do is fill it with whatever you like, top it with cheese and bake it!

Mushrooms go beautifully with spinach and ricotta cheese, but that is a very common combination of ingredients. So mine is a bit different in that, it also has some cooked pasta in it, making it a whole meal. I have used whole wheat pasta, but use whatever you have at home. I use white wine to flavour many of my recipes, including this one, but spare it if you would prefer to. For non-mushroom lovers, try aubergine and olives with mozzarella cheese or mashed potatoes and tarragon/sage with cheddar.

Serves: 6 pieces

Preparation time: 30min

Cooking time: 1 hour 30 min

Ingredients

For the puff pastry

1 cup flour

25 g salted butter

¼ tsp salt

Sour cream/fresh cream as per requirement (about ¼ cup)

Others: Baking tin, parchment paper, blind weights (kidney beans or any other)

For the filling

Mushrooms, chopped medium

1 red onion, halved and sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped medium

1 garlic pod, roasted as described in the bench notes below

½ cup white wine

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

1tbsp salted butter

½ tsp red chilli flakes

Ground black pepper

A pinch of nutmeg powder

Any pasta cooked as per instructions on the pack

1 cup grated cheese (any cheese will do)

1 egg, whisked

¼ cup fresh cream/ full cream milk

A pinch of sugar

Salt to taste

Method

Make the puff pastry as mentioned in the recipe that I have already posted. After blind baking, remove the puff pastry from the oven and allow to stand on the platform till you make the filling.

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Heat butter in a wide non-stick saucepan. Add the roasted garlic. Add a sprig of rosemary. Allow the garlic to brown. Add 1 tsp olive oil. To this add the chopped onions and sauté till they caramelize. Add the chopped mushrooms. Add salt to taste. Stir well. Deglaze the saucepan with white wine, and simmer for 2 min. Now add the chopped yellow bell pepper, ground black pepper, a pinch of sugar, a pinch of nutmeg, red chilli flakes, and salt to taste (if necessary). Remove from flame. Let cool for 5 min. Now add the cooked pasta, half the grated cheese, one whisked egg and cream. Stir till all ingredients are well combined. Ladle the filling into the puff pastry shell and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 30min, making sure the cheese has melted and browned.

Allow to cool for 5 min. Remove the quiche from the baking tray, slice and serve warm.

Bench notes

For recipe on how to make puff pastry see here.

Roasted garlic: Take a whole garlic pod (do not peel); smear it with a mixture of olive oil, butter, salt, pepper, and some fresh thyme. Roast in a preheated oven at 180°C for 15-20 or until browned and soft from within. Remove peel and crush with the back of a spoon to make a rough paste.

Veggie au gratin

The veggie au gratin or as we call it, the baked vegetable, is a lovely continental addition to a dinner spread. It can be eaten as a meal in itself with some garlic bread and a soup or as an interesting supplement to a main course. It is best compiled with seasonal winter veggies, and the rich creamy cheese sauce makes it finger-lickin-good!

My mom used to make this when I was little, and ever since it’s been comfort food for me. The original recipe is hers, but my little twist to it is the addition of the Worcestershire sauce. I developed a natural liking for Worcestershire sauce during my student days in the UK; and I always have a bottle of it on my kitchen rack. I use it in soups, casseroles, dips, bakes, rolls etc. It has a distinctive taste which adds a nice body of flavour to the au gratin; and keeps your guests guessing why their au gratins never taste as good as yours!

Serves: 4-6 (depends on portion size)
Prep time: 30min
Cooking time: 40min (includes oven time of 10min)
Cooking bowl: Ovenproof bowl for baking


Ingredients
For the cream sauce
1tbsp butter
1½ tbsp plain flour
400-500ml milk
2-3tbsp fresh cream
Grated processed cheese, 1 cube
Tabasco sauce
¼ tsp ground black pepper
Nutmeg powder
1-2 sprigs of fresh thyme
Salt to taste

For the veggies
1tbsp olive oil
Roasted garlic paste (read bench note below for details)
¼ cauliflower made into medium size florets
½ broccoli made into medium size florets
1 carrot cubed
½ red bell pepper cubed
½ green bell pepper cubed
½ yellow bell pepper cubed
50g baby corn slit centre-wise
1-2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Red chilli flakes

For garnish before baking
1 large onion cut into rings (read bench note below for details)
Grated processed cheese, 1 cube

For serving
Fresh flat leaf parsley
Garlic bread




Method
For the cream sauce
For the sauce, heat butter in a non-stick saucepan. Add flour and roast until golden brown on a low flame. Remove from heat, and allow it to cool completely. Add 2‑3tbsp milk to the cooled flour and mix thoroughly dissolving any lumps. Add rest of the milk to the pan and simmer for 5-6 min, stirring continuously till the sauce thickens. Season with salt and ground black pepper; add the grated processed cheese, fresh cream and a sprig of fresh thyme. Add a pinch of nutmeg powder and a few drops of Tabasco sauce. Keep aside.

For the veggies
Preheat oven to 180°C.

Heat olive oil and some butter in a non-stick saucepan. Add the roasted garlic and sauté for a minute. Add cauliflower, broccoli, carrots and baby corn. Sauté the veggies for 2‑3min. Add a pinch of salt to the veggies, cover with a lid and allow the veggies to cook ¾ths. Add the bell peppers at this stage and stir well. Season with ground black pepper, red chilli flakes and some more salt if necessary. Add the Worcestershire sauce, and some fresh thyme. Do not overcook the veggies as the au gratin will further bake in the oven. Add the cream sauce to the veggies and stir till all the elements are combined.

Transfer the au gratin into an ovenproof bowl. Garnish with onion rings and generously coat with grated cheese. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 10-15min till the top surface browns and the cheese melts.

Garnish with some fresh flat leaf parsley and serve hot.

Bench notes
Roasted garlic: Take a whole garlic pod (do not peel); smear it with a mixture of olive oil, butter, salt, pepper, and some fresh thyme. Roast in a preheated oven at 180°C for 15-20 or until browned and soft from within. Remove peel and crush with the back of a spoon to make a rough paste.

Onion rings: Peel a whole onion, cut into thin slices. Place the slices in a bowl of ice cold water. Open up the slices gently with your fingertips allowing the rings to separate. Retain in ice cold water until use (keeps the onions crunchy and fresh).

Fusilli with rosemary cream sauce

Rosemary is my favourite of all the Italian herbs. There are a million ways to use this herb and this one is the simplest. It provides such a beautiful base flavour to the cream sauce that you don’t need much else to carry it through. I have kept the sauce very simple with basic seasoning and simple veggies that you can buy from your vendor next door. This is a very easy and quick recipe, perfectly suited for a small bunch of girlfriends on a girls’ stay-over night, or even a candle light dinner date. Creamy, cheesy and so more-ish!




Serves: 3-4
Prep time: 20min
Cooking time: 20min


Ingredients
Fusilli pasta, 1 fistful per person
3-4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1tbsp butter
1½ tbsp plain flour
400-500ml milk
Black olives, pitted and sliced
1 Green bell pepper, chopped into medium cubes
1 onion chopped into medium cubes
2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2-3tbsp fresh cream
Grated parmesan cheese
Grated processed cheese, 1 cube
Nutmeg powder
Tabasco sauce
¼ tsp ground black pepper
Salt to taste

Method
Boil water in a big saucepan. Add the fusilli to the boiling water with some salt and a few drops of olive oil. Allow the pasta to cook 3/4ths and drain into a sieve. Pour cold water on the cooked pasta to cool it, and prevent it from clumping together. Loosen the pasta with your fingers; add a few more drops of olive oil if required. Keep aside.

For the sauce, heat butter in a non-stick saucepan. Add flour and roast until golden brown on a low flame. Remove from heat, and allow it to cool completely. Add 2‑3tbsp milk to the cooled flour and mix thoroughly dissolving any lumps. Add rest of the milk to the pan and simmer for 5-6 min, stirring continuously till the sauce thickens. Season with salt and ground black pepper; add the grated processed cheese, fresh cream and a sprig of rosemary. Add a pinch of nutmeg powder and a few drops of Tabasco sauce. Keep aside.

Heat olive oil and some butter in a non-stick saucepan. Add the chopped garlic and sauté for a minute till brown. Add a sprig of rosemary, and the cubed onions. Sauté till the onions golden. Now add the olives and green bell peppers. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Stir for a minute. To this, add the cooked fusilli, and the cream sauce. Boil for 2-3 minutes until all the elements come together. Mix gently, making sure not to disrupt the fusilli.

Serve with a fresh sprig of rosemary and some grated parmesan cheese.

Bench notes
Be careful while you make the sauce, as the smallest of lumps can change the consistency of the sauce.

Do not overcook the pasta. Remember to drain it while it is still only 3/4ths cooked. The intrinsic heat will help it to cook through within no time; and the pasta will cook again in the final sauce.

This cream sauce is very versatile in its flavouring. Add one herb, or many. Use dried oregano, or fresh basil, or a mixture of fresh rosemary and thyme. You can even make a sauce with sage leaves and scatter roasted pine nuts on top; or tarragon leaves with a splodge of lemon juice. Serve with a cold Greek salad or just a few rocket leaves dressed with salt, pepper and olive oil. The options are never-ending.

You can grow many of these herbs in your garden, or even in one big pot kept in your balcony. Most of these require medium sunshine, and can be grown together in one large, wide pot. They grow well in our winter months, but might be unable to sustain the dreadful summer heat; and so growing them in a pot will give you the flexibility to control temperature, sunshine, rain etc. Most of these herbs will be available in winter in local nurseries. Not that exotic anymore, are they?