We all remember that day when we were introduced to “Italian Cuisine”, don’t we? I remember I was like 8 or 9 years old and my ma bought a packet of Macaroni from the local store and prepped white sauce with no reference whatsoever of any recipe book. There were no Italian Seasonings at home then, using just Kasuri Methi, Basil leaves and Dry Red Chili (flakes) she pulled off something I still deem as one of the best Pastas I’ve had in my young life. That was one unplanned 101 of creative thinking.
Craving cheesy Pasta looking at this picture? Try it today, you don’t need the “right ingredients”, you know how the herbs taste – EXPERIMENT! #MakeYourOwnPasta
Before you get excited and dive-in head first, here are the basics to Pasta Types:
Penne – Penne Pasta is cylinder-shaped. It goes well with heavy white sauce and pesto sauce
Spaghetti – It’s a long, thin, cylindrical, solid pasta. Italian spaghetti is made from durum wheat semolina, but elsewhere it may be made with other kinds of flour
Fusilli – Long, thick, corkscrew shaped pasta that may be solid or hollow. Goes great with both red & white sauces
Fettuccine – Flat Ribbon looking pasta popular in Roman and Tuscan cuisine. It is a flat thick noodle made of egg and flour
Macaroni – We all know by-heart the Macaroni from Mac n’ Cheese
*There are many more Pasta Types, like Angel Hair, Farfalle, Rigatoni, Lasagna, Ravioli, etc. – the above listed are the more common ones that should be available at a store near you
That’s it with the basics.Now let’s dive in and experiment with some Vegetarian Pasta recipes!
Mac N’Cheese – As authentic as it can get. Warning- heavy cheese-load! It essentially gets its smooth and creaminess from the combination of butter, flour, and two cups of milk
Spaghetti Bolognese – Here’s a key to not having watery Pasta sauce at the bottom of your bowl. Toss the pasta IN the sauce with a bit of pasta cooking water. This makes the Bolognese sauce emulsify, so it thickens, becomes glossy and clings to the spaghetti
Garlic Spaghetti – Try this tonight. Hardly takes any time- and doesn’t need any shopping or planning
Sicilian Spicy Pasta – Simple and appetizing Broccoli + Red Chilies + Parmesan filled Pasta
Rotini Pasta Salad – The very colorful and healthy(er) Rotini Pasta Salad is a standard for potlucks, and it makes a nice big salad that tastes great!
Fusilli Tomatina-Buy cherry tomatoes if they’re available near you, use these in place of cut tomatoes
Macaroni Chaat – Yes you read it right! Chaat or Salad – pack it up for tomorrow!
My Improvs & Notes
Basic Tips for Pasta Cooking
Use adequate amount of water and a large vessel to avoid pasta from clumping together or becoming very soggy or lumpy
Keep stirring pasta (especially towards to beginning) to keep them from sticking to each other. Adding salt or a drizzle of oil can also help
Let water boil, and then only add the pasta.Keep aside
Don’t rinse the pasta after it is cooked. It takes away all the flavor
Pairing the sauces right will make a difference – flat pastas be paired with white/cream based sauce and the round ones with red
Your pasta should be added to the sauce as soon as it is cooked. So time the cooking and assembling correctly!
Cream & mix preparation tips
Using canned Cream of Broccoli/Cream of Mushroom/Cream of Potato sauces will make your job much easy. Tastes incredibly authentic and delicious as well!
Adding a pinch of baking soda can help cut down the bitterness of sauce – if prepping the sauce the traditional way
For the mix, cook in Olive Oil and add Basil, Bell Peppers, white onions, white garlic, green chilies cut length wise
Restaurants Serving Best Pasta in Bay Area
Results are one too many but here’s where I have tried and liked ~
