Tangy Tomato Cheese Pasta

 

Pasta, pasta, pasta!!
Oh, I just love it, especially when it is loaded with cheese, and blessed with the wind of Basil.

Pasta is a generic term for noodles made from an unleavened dough of wheat or buckwheat flour and water, sometimes with other ingredients such as eggs and vegetable extracts.

Pasta is typical of different cultures and countries, but the most famous varieties and recipes come from Italy. There are hundreds of different shapes of pasta with at least locally recognized names. Examples include spaghetti (thin strings), macaroni (tubes or cylinders), fusilli (swirls), and lasagne (sheets). 

Pasta is categorized in two basic styles: dried and fresh. Dried pasta made without eggs can be stored for up to two years under ideal conditions, while fresh pasta will keep for a few days under refrigeration.

TANGY TOMATO CHEESE PASTA

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1. Pasta Swirl (Fussili): 1 cup

2. Tomatoes: 3 (pureed)

3. Onion: 1 (chopped)

4. Garlic Cloves: 5 (finely chopped)

5. Basil Leaves: 1 tbs (very finely chopped)

6. Parsley: 1 tbs (finely chopped)

7. Grated cheese: 2 cubes

8. Tomato Ketchup: 3 tbs

9. Ground Pepper/ Black Pepper Powder: 1tsp

10. Salt: 1 and a half tsp or as per taste

11. Olive Oil: 3 tbs

12. Water

Method:

1. Take 2 cups water in a pan and bring it to boil. Now add 1 cup pasta to it, followed by a pinch of salt and a tsp of oil. 
2. Once pasta become slightly tender (al dente), take them out on a strainer.
3. Now take olive oil in a separate pan and heat it. Add chopped onions followed by chopped garlic and cook till onion goes golden brown. 
4. Now add tomato puree to it followed by black pepper powder and salt. Cook till the oil separates.
5. Pour in the tomato ketchup and stir well. Add in a little water if you find it thicker.
6. Throw in the pasta, followed by the chopped parsley and basil and spin well.
7. At last, garnish with grated cheese and serve hot. If you want the melting cheese in mouth, cook it for 2 minutes after adding cheese so that it blends well with the gravy.

Tips:

1. 'Al dente' (Italian: "firm to the bite", meaning not too soft) is when the pasta is just rightly cooked, that is, it is not very soft nor very very hard. It should be such that when it is finally cooked with the sauce, it should come out as complete spirals, and not in overcooked pieces which break on being too soft.
2. If you don't happen to have parsley, you can push in some chopped coriander leaves.
3. 'Basil' gives the typical, authentic Italian flavor, hence its addition will undoubtedly add in to the taste.

Submitting this recipe to:

Iftar Moments by Ayeesha, Anyone can Cook.