Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Penne Pasta cooked in fresh ingredients


After eating this pasta prepared with minimal seasoning I have come to the conclusion that we sometimes tend to kill the natural and authentic flavors of the dish,by over seasoning it . When we use very little seasoning or a single spice for seasoning we allow the flavors from other ingredients to stay bold and distinct.This pasta preparation allows you to savor each and every ingredient in every single bite.The seasoning used in this is kosher salt and crushed black pepper along with some fresh herbs.I tossed the pasta in Kate's Butter (a product from Maine) and some mahjoub organic olive oil. Give this preparation a try and you will understand the power of less is sometimes more :)!

Mahir was on one of his travels when in my quest to surprise Manasi with something special,I came up with this recipe coupled with the fact that I had shopped for some organic stuff yet again in the pursuit of  feeding our bodies  some pesticide free and naturally grown food. I always try hard to spend less on things that make us look pretty on the outside and consciously & willingly make efforts to spend that extra buck on the food that is grown naturally and in return support the farmers community who strive consistently  to provide us with these healthy options . After-all We are -What we eat


I also went a step ahead and spread the meal on the picnic table on the deck,I know my Aquarian girl loves it when things are done differently:) I cannot forget the smile this dinner brought on her face,also these were some of the last few days of summer left before she would leave for college.So they were anyways special. Here is a picture from that evening :)

I had baked some ciabatta a day before so drizzled some olive oil and and some crushed garlic and toasted it a little in the oven and enjoyed this with the penne pasta and a glass of wine....mmm...mmm the simple pleasures of life... my friends go for 'em

Ingredients:


Penne pasta: 1/2 packet (I used Trader Joes Organic whole wheat pasta)
Butter: 1tbsp ( I used kate's 100% pure butter)
Note: This butter tastes incredible,I bought this at Caraluzzi's but later found it in stop& shop too)
EVOO: 1tbsp ( I used Mahjoub organic gifted by a very dear friend)
Grape tomatos: About 20( washed and halved if you like)
Basil: 20 leaves roughly chopped
Rosemary: 1 sprig(separate the stem and roughly chop the leaves)
Sun dried tomatoes: 3 tbsp chopped in tiny bits
Salt: to taste
Black pepper: little more than a pinch
Pine nuts: 2 tbsp pounded lightly
Grated Parmesan cheese: You set the limits




Manasi loves it and sprinkles a ton of it and puts a heap on the side to eat with the bread and olive oil;)


Method:


Boil the pasta in hot water with some salt till al dente and strain and keep aside
Take a pan and add the butter and olive oil.
When hot add the chopped basil,rosemary,sun dried tomatoes and the grape tomatoes and saute them for a couple minutes.
Add salt and crush fresh pepper and toss the pasta and give it a good shake. Turn off the flame. 
Transfer this to a serving bowl and sprinkle Parmesan and pine nuts and savor the flavor that every ingredient brings to this pasta preparation. Bon Appetit!!!

10 comments:

  1. Omg, seriously feel like having rite now,irresistible dish..

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  2. Kavita-So nice to hear from you after such a long absence...you were away for so long!

    Love your penne pasta, so perfect and delicious. I see you changed over to the new format. Looks really great. I also changed over for one day, and changed back, since I could not put anything in the side-bar.
    Hugs,

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  3. Looks really yummy,will surely give this a try..

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  4. Im sure this made a satisfying and a healthy meal..All ings look so fresh & makes the dish all the more inviting!!! And its been one of our reason discoveries too..over seasoning can mask other flavors making the dish flat..So at home its now easy on salt, sugar etc.. :)
    Prathima Rao
    Prats Corner

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  5. Simple yet satisfying meal! Love your new look too...

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  6. looks super delicious and healthy.

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  7. Yummy pasta. Its my son's fav..Love to try this

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