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One Pot Pasta with Mukka Pyaz

March 31, 2020 By appu Leave a Comment

One Pot Pasta with Mukka Pyaz
Print Recipe
Easy and quick, and makes use of all your left over veggies.
  • CourseMain Dish
  • CuisineItalian
Servings Prep Time
3 pax 10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Servings Prep Time
3 pax 10 min
Cook Time
15 min
One Pot Pasta with Mukka Pyaz
Print Recipe
Easy and quick, and makes use of all your left over veggies.
  • CourseMain Dish
  • CuisineItalian
Servings Prep Time
3 pax 10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Servings Prep Time
3 pax 10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbspn olive oil
  • 1 Tbspn Butter
  • 10 cloves garlic sliced thin
  • 1 med sized onion (do not peel)
  • 5 Black Pepper coarsely ground
  • 10 Cherry Tomatoes Cut into half
  • 1/3 packet Spaghetti (or any other pasta)
  • 2-3 Cups Water (you can use stock water if not using Veg Bouillon)
  • 1 Tbspn Veg Bouillon dilute in 2 tbspn water (can use stock water if you dont want to use Veg Bouillon)
  • 2 Tspn salt
  • 10-12 Leaves basil
  • 2 strands Rosemary
  • 1/2 Cup Brocolli cut into small florets
  • 1 Tspn Chilly Flakes
  • 1/3 Cup Asparagus Chopped into 3
  • 1/3 Cup Mushrooms Cut into 2 or 4 depending on the size.
Servings: pax
Instructions
  1. Without peeling the onion, cut off both the bases.
  2. With the broad side up, pound it hard a few times with your fist.(ie mukka pyaz)
  3. Tears will appear. Starting from the tear peel the onion and then start cutting and tearing the layers (see video) Keep aside
  4. In a thick bottom pan, add the olive oil and butter. When a little brown add the sliced garlic. Saute for a few minutes
  5. Add the black pepper then the onions
  6. Saute till onion is a translucent.
  7. Add the cherry tomato and saute for a few minutes.
  8. Add the herbs (basil and rosemary).
  9. Add the broccoli and then add the salt.
  10. Add the pasta and break it with the spoon and then douse it with water till the top of the pan. (see recipe notes - IMPORTANT)
  11. Dilute the bouillon in water and add to the pasta. (IMPORTANT - see recipe notes )
  12. Cook on medium heat till the pasta cooks and water soaks up completely.
  13. Keep stirring intermediately.
  14. If the water soaks up and the pasta hasn't cooked, add more water, but little at a time.
  15. If the pasta has cooked and some water is left, let it be. The pasta will soak it up.
  16. Add chilly flakes.
  17. When done and just before taking off the fire add the asparagus and mushrooms and mix into the pasta.
  18. Serve with garlic bread on the side.
Recipe Notes

 

Times have come when we are very very careful about wasting any food. This recipe hits the spot because it uses up all the left over veggies and wilting herbs in your fridge. It's an amazing recipe for students or those who need to cook quickly and minimally. Needless to say both my kids made this quite often when in college. But- for this recipe my son used a very Indian road side restaurant trick of Mucca Pyaz - ie fist broken onion.

Somehow when the onion is broken with the fist, the juices flow and dissipate in such a manner that the onion looses its fiery pungency and for some reason tastes way sweeter. Just for your info - try this with the very Indian Chola Kulcha.

We have used broccoli, asparagus, some left over mushrooms, herbs that existed in our fridge. You can of course replace with any other her you have. Parsley, chives, oregano etc all go really well. If you dont have fresh herbs, dried herbs will also do the trick.

You want more heat add  some Spicy chillies while the pasta boils. Green chilly does not do well, so I would avoid that.

You can add any cheese you have, just before taking off the fire, stir some in.

We add the asparagus and mushrooms last, as they are veggies that cook really fast, and adding them earlier would have turned it to mush.

We hope you enjoy this recipe. Do tag us on #therecipelarder on instagram.

VEG STOCK V/S VEG BOUILLON

Since I did not want to use any extra veggies to make veg stock, I used veg Bouillon. I rather use veg stock as however organic bouillon is processed. But having said that bouillon has strong flavours and works well when you don't have too much time or patience at hand.

HOW TO MAKE VEG STOCK. For this recipe - take 4 cups of water. Add to a pan and in it add some bay leaf, black pepper and roughly cut white veggies - ie onions, bottle gourd, cabbage, cauliflower, pumpkin (not the very sweet one)etc. Boil everything together till the water boils down to half. Strain. Use the veggies in your chapati dough, or  mix it into your dal. Use this water for cooking pasta.

If you use stock do not add veg bouillon.

SEE VIDEO HERE:

http://therecipelarder.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/one-pot-pasta-with-mukka-pyaz-edited.mp4

 

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Filed Under: Dinner, Healthy, Lunch Tagged With: healthy, spaghetti

Basil Pesto and Pesto Pasta

January 10, 2018 By appu Leave a Comment

It’s that time of the year again, when our farm in Mahabaleshwar is thriving and blooming. The entire farm is disrupted during the monsoons, which are heavy, non stop and torrential. In fact Mahabaleshwar gets the second highest rainfall in India, next only to Cherrapunji.

Just before the rains are predicted to stop, (and these predictions never come true!), we start planting some seeds in a sheltered area. Once the rains stop, the seeds are now seedlings and can be re transplanted in pots or beds. It’s a lot of work! The soil has to be turned, aired and new top soil has to be spread. Since we plant over almost 2 acres of land, it’s a busy time for all of us.

Seeing the seedlings burst forth into vegetables and flowers is the best thrill and pure fodder for my soul. I love the city but off late ever so often I just want to vacate my senses and vegetate with the vegetation.

This year started with a wild, wild and massive bush of Basil. So much that I did not know what to do with it. I plucked them and got them back to Bombay, still pondering in my head and actually stressing over not wasting this lot. It was fragrant, the leaves heavy with taste. I decided to make Pesto and sell it to my customers.

Pesto made with fresh fragrant organic basil

I came home and experimented with a batch. It was perfect, green and luscious. I bottled it and announced the sale, and it was gone within hours! All the bottles were booked!

Over time, the green becomes pale and dark. So if you want really bright green pesto, make it on the spot and use it. Making it a day in advance allows all the flavours to steep. But if you want to use it as a dip, or in an open sandwich, then make it on the spot.

Basil grows very easily in home cultured pots. And mind you, it can grow wild. Now when you have too much Basil, and your heart is breaking at the wastage, you know what to do with it.

We were all having fondue, and one of our friends did not like the smell of the cheese. So I made Pesto Pasta for her and her husband. I do believe the plate was polished off!!! 😀

Basil Pesto mixed with pasta

I hope you enjoy making this recipe, because there is no better smell than that of, fresh basil, smooth virgin olive oil and fragrant new garlic.

Cheer!

 

 

Basil Pesto and Pesto Pasta
Print Recipe
Fresh fragrant basil, made into pesto. Can be used as a dipping sauce, over sandwiches and salads, and of course made into a pasta.
  • CourseMain Course, Main Dish, Sauces and Jams
  • CuisineItalian
Servings Prep Time
4 pax 10 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 pax 10 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Basil Pesto and Pesto Pasta
Print Recipe
Fresh fragrant basil, made into pesto. Can be used as a dipping sauce, over sandwiches and salads, and of course made into a pasta.
  • CourseMain Course, Main Dish, Sauces and Jams
  • CuisineItalian
Servings Prep Time
4 pax 10 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 pax 10 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Ingredients
Pesto
  • 1 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves packed
  • 1/2 Cup Walnuts toasted
  • 1/4 Cup garlic Peeled
  • 1 1/2 tspn Sea Salt
  • 10 pcs Black Pepper
  • 1 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive oil
Pasta
  • 1/2 Packet Pasta Boiled
  • 1/2 Cup Exrtra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 4/5 Cherry Tomatoes for garnishing, optional.
Servings: pax
Instructions
  1. Add all the ingredients of the pesto to a food processor and mix till its cohesive and no coarse pieces can be seen or felt.
  2. Put aside to use immediately or bottle in sterilised jar for future use.
Pasta
  1. Boil the pasta and keep aside
  2. Add the oil to the pan, and then add the pesto.
  3. Add the pasta and half of the parmesan cheese.
  4. Toss well and add 1/4th cup of the pasta water to the mix
  5. Toss again
  6. Serve hot garnished with the remaining parmesan cheese and cherry tomatoes.
  7. Add a side of toasty garlic or plain bread with this dish.
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Filed Under: Dinner, Healthy, Lunch, Sauces Tagged With: basil, black pepper, comfort food, farm to table, fragrant, fresh, garlic, healthy, italian, organic, parmesan cheese, pasta, quikc dish, virgin olive oil, walnuts

Meet the Author

For the 21 years and some months that I have been alive, there has been this crazy, eccentric, always-charged-up woman with a full-time job of being a mother to 6 (2 children, 4 dogs).

In her spare time she blasts music on her DJ console, reads like a maniac, downloads shows (because God forbid she runs out of something to watch), runs an entire household, and to top it all off, manages a very successful catering business which makes the most delicious food in the entire world. Once you have her food, everything else will taste like stale socks.

This is what you call "Maa ke haath ka khana".

- Kanak

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