Pasta with Red Sauce

Hi folks,, recently my taste-buds and smelling senses were craving something Italian and how could it not be our lovely Pasta!!! ofcourse with some Pomodoro (red sauce). Usually with red sauce, its the Rotini (spirals) or penne that go quite well but I cooked with Spaghetti instead which is equally yummy..

stuff required:

500 gm Spaghetti
couple of fresh basil leaves or 1 tsp dry basil
1/2 tsp mixed herbs
salt and black pepper (as needed)
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp crushed garlic
300 ml tomato puree
1 tsp sugar
1 medium onion, fine chopped
200 gm crushed cottage cheese

Quick and easy pomodoro:
1. Heal oil in a pan and add garlic (usually Italians put just lil amount of garlic in any sauce but im a big badass when it comes to garlic, cant help it, i love garlic) . Add onions after some seconds and cook for few minutes.

2. Add tomato puree, followed by basil, salt, pepper and sugar.

3. Simmer for 25-30 minutes and bingo its ready!!



4. Now add cheese. Usually we put parmesan cheese on top of pasta but you must try cottage cheese as well, taste really nice.



5. Boil the pasta upto al dente (around 90% done) and mix with the sauce.



Tossing...tossing...tossing baby!!!

6. Sprinkle some mixed herbs on top and serve hot.

Italian chick peas

..And here is another beautiful thing for dinner tonight. Its the chickpeas cooked in Italian way. Basically you can do plenty of experiments with food, add Italian herbs, its Italian, put turmeric chillies and garam masala, its Indian, use coconut milk and some thai curry powder and bingo,, its oriental!!!

Stuff needed::
250 gm chickpeas (soaked overnight)
3-4 small onions
3-4 medium potatoes
250 ml milk
250 ml water
salt and ground black pepper
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tsp mixed Italian herbs
1 tbsp crushed garlic or garlic paste

1. Peal the onions and potatoes, no need to cut them if they are small.
2. Heat oil in a deep vessel, add garlic paste and onions. saute for 2-3 minutes, add potatoes, salt and pepper.
3. Cook for few minutes and add chickpeas along with water.
4. Cover the vessel and cook on low flame until the chickpeas are tender.
5. Pour the milk in and Italian herbs and simmer for another 15-20 minutes.
6. Add some extra virgin olive oil on top and serve hot with rice or bread..

To make it more nutritious and colourful we can put some sauteed or boiled vegetables like beans, baby corn, broccoli or carrots in that.