Quick & Simple Zucchini Pasta Noodles blended with Indian spices

Zucchini is one of the low calorie vegetable isl loaded with nutrients. This is eaten in throughout the world and now available in Indian markets as well. Although we might find this only in supermarket stores.

I do not prefer eating this raw like cucumber but grill / bake or stir fry. This is another simple easy dish with little preparation time and cook time. It would be super easy if you have a slicer like I have. Although you could slice them using a knife it would eat a lot of time and the strands would not be uniform in shape and size. I have demonstrated the outcome with and without slicer for your understanding. Let's look into the recipe. 

Ingredients:

1. Zucchini - sliced like noodle threads
2. Seasoning of your choice . I have used (crushed pepper, garlic parsely powder, granulated chicken bouillon, chili flakes)
3. Minced Garlic from 4 - 5 medium pods
4. Grated Parmesan cheese or powder
5. Salt to taste
6. Olive oil to stir fry - 2 t.spn or as needed.

Preparation:

1. Place the sliced zucchini in a colander, sprinkle salt and mix well. Let it sit for about 15 to 30 minutes. The excess water would drain off.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil and turn off the heat. Blanch the zucchini in this water for about a minute. Immediately transfer to ice cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large pan and saute the garlic for few seconds. Add in all seasoning saute well. Mix the zucchini threads toss. Do not saute too much.
4. Garnish with grated cheese and other greens like cilantro/ coriander leaves / parsley if you like.

Enjoy this noodles pasta while hot. 

Note:

- You may try curry powder seasoning instead of light spices

- You could also toss in grilled chicken pieces of cooked shrimp or cherry tomatoes 

- Just experiment with what you like and which ever works better for you.

Lemony Garlic Shrimp Spaghetti Pasta with Herbs

This is a quick and easy pasta recipe if you are in for spicy hot Shrimps pasta filled with Lemon flavors. I am sorry but don't ask me for calories am bad at it, I just try a dish eat and relish.

You can experiment with the herbs of your choice and angel hair pasta too.

Ingredients (2 Servings)

1. Spaghetti Pasta as per servings. 
2. Shrimps cleaned and deveined - atleast 150 gms or 10 to 15 medium size shrimps
3. 10 - 15 garlic pods - finely chopped
4. Lemon juice from 1/2 lemon
5. Lemon zest / rind from one lemon
6. Chili Flakes as needed
7. White wine 2 tb.spn (optional)
8. Olive oil 3 - 4 tb spn
9. Herbs of your choice fresh or dried (Parsley, Rosemary, Thyme)
10. Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
11. Salt / pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Boil pasta as per the instruction in the packet. While the pasta is half done prepare the sauce, we do not want to drain and let the pasta dry for long. 
2. In a Fry pan or wok heat the oil in lowest flame
3. Saute garlic, chili flakes for few seconds and add in the shrimp. Do not over cook. Turn the shrimps and cook on the other side we just need the color to change.
4. Immediately add lemon juice, zest/rind, wine and salt. Give a nice toss. Let them sit for 30 seconds. Add little Pasta boiled water as well.
5. Transfer the cooked pasta and mix well. Sprinkle all herbs 
6. Serve with grated cheese 

Notes:

• You may use mozzarella or other cheese you have
• Do not over cook or under cook the pasta. Keep checking once it reaches the cooking time as per the instruction
• I have used garlic parsley powder and other dried herbs. Do not use too much little pinches of each herb is sufficient. 

Italian Spaghetti Pasta - toasted garlic in Olive oil

Many of us love pasta and think it must be a complex recipe to prepare it's not. All you need is good pasta of your choice and veg/chicken and some sauce to go with it. There are plenty of pasta salad dressing available in the market you may use if you are making a cold salad. You may prepare your own sauce. For hot pasta dishes you might want to use fresh good sauce.

Most commonly used sauces are white, red, pesto etc. they are easy to prepare. This dish is prepared from garlic toasted in olive oil, cheese, some seasoning. Yes makes an excellent meal when combined with some salad, fruits. Simple ingredients and east to make.

Ingredients: 

1. Good quality spaghetti pasta

   

   Image courtesy - Google

2. Large Garlic Pods thinly sliced - 12 - 15 
3. Olive Oil - 50 ml (you may increase according to the servings.)
4. Grated cheese
5. Chopped Parsley or coriander leaves
6. Crushed pepper
7. Chili flakes
8. Salt to taste

Preparation

• Take water in a large vessel and bring to a boil, you should see bubbles. Add salt and put the pasta in it. You don;t have to break it, as it softens lightly push them in. Entire pasta would be immersed in water in no time. Stir intermittently to prevent sticking. 
• At the same time, in another burner heat oil in a flat pan. Add garlic saute them till they turn slight brown. This should be done in lowest heat. Would take around 5 - 7 min to get nice light brown color. Ensure it's not burnt.
• When your pasta is done, strain the water and add to the toasted garlic oil mix well. 
• Add cheese, seasoning, salt, parsley and toss well. 
• Serve immediately, you may add more cheese while serving.

Notes:

Thongs !! Image courtesy - Google

• Do not add oil to the boiling water while cooking pasta
• Do not let the cooked pasta sit for a long time, might have to toss into the sauce and seasoning while it;s still hot
• Do not over cook pasta, see the instructions on the pack for cooking time. some might take 7 some more than 10 minutes. Mine took around 12 minutes. 
• You might need a thong to pick pasta, and toss. 
• Alternatively use a large vessel transfer your cooked pasta, pour your sauce on top , add cheese and seasoning and mix with thongs before serving.

Hope these tips would be helpful to you. Enjoy cooking pasta.....

Easy Broccoli Pasta in white sauce

As we all know Broccoli is one of the popular vegetable in the whole world used in salads or consumed raw which is nutritious. It has plenty benefits to offer for mankind. You may prepare this as a  a cold dish or hot. I will post another cold salad recipe with pasta and broccoli.

This Recipe needs to items, one cooked pasta and white sauce. There are plenty of videos available on preparing white sauce. You can follow this as well by Vah Chef. I will share my experience and tips here.

For Pasta:

1. Fusilli (Spiral Kind)
2. Broccoli Florets - small
3. Carrot finely sliced - 1
4. Capsicum chopped - of your choice
5. Garlic finely sliced or chopped as preferred - 4 pods
6. Olive oil 
7. Salt, pepper, oregano or other available pasta seasoning
8. Chopped parsely / Spring onion (optional)

For White Sauce:

All you need is butter, warm milk and maida. Butter and Maida should be of equal quantity with milk being 10 times of butter. I usually take some more milk as the sauce thickens quickly. You may add seasoning as desired like pepper, salt etc.

Preparation:

1. Boil a large pot of water with salt in it, add broccoli florets to it cook for 2 - 3 min max. Do not over cook the florets should be crunchy without losing lot of nutrients.
2. Take off the florets and finely chop them
3. In the same water boil the pasta stirring intermittently, it would take 5 - 7 minutes for the pasta to cook depending on the brand and the quality
4. Strain the pasta and sprinkle little olive oil to prevent it from sticking. Keep aside

Making Sauce:

1. Milk should not be boiling hot, you may heat milk and turn the heat off once it reaches the boiling point
2. In a sauce pan Heat the butter and add maida , keep the flame to the lowest. Keep stirring the mixure till it gets cooked and the nice aroma arises
3. Add the milk little by little and keep stirring, to prevent lump formation
4. Increase the flame, keep mixing the sauce would come to a boil shortly 
5. At this time add salt & pepper, switch off the flame.

Note: The sauce would thicken if we keep it for long, I always add lot of milk and have the sauce liquid like consistency, so it would be correct when we add to pasta.

You may serve pasta with vegetables with hot sauce on top, or do the following.

In a large wok, heat 1 spoon of olive oil. Toss the garlic saute for a minute, all vegetables and stir for 30 second add pasta and mix well. Add all the seasonings too, after that pour the sauce and turn of heat. Mix well and serve immediately.