Twirl, swirl, and slurp - this dish’s variety of shapes, textures, and flavours make it a favourite comfort food for many. Indulge in the world of pastas on the occasion of World Pasta Day…
world pasta day
Picture this…a warm steaming pile of spaghetti in a rich red sauce, littered with seasoned sausage, black olives, and mushrooms served with crusty garlic bread on the side. Or, perhaps the idea of a rich chicken fettuccine in a creamy garlic white sauce is more likely to be what blows your mind. Pasta comes in over 600 shapes known to mankind, and their names are usually Italian words that are delightfully descriptive of their shapes. Spaghetti (‘cord’), vermicelli (‘little worms’), rotini (‘spirals’), fusilli (‘spindles’), tortellini (‘little cakes’), linguini (‘little tongues’), conchiglie (‘shells’), fettuccine (‘small ribbons’), penne (‘quills’) and capellini (‘fine hairs’) are the savoury little goodies that are essential to any pantry.
While Italian food made it famous, that was actually only a gateway to pasta. And World Pasta Day is the perfect time to celebrate this love!
World Pasta Day was brought into existence as part of the World Pasta Congress on the 25th of October in 1995. Experts from all over the world came together to discuss the glories of the noodle, with particular emphasis on the importance of spreading knowledge of the world’s panorama of pasta. This organisation uses World Pasta Day to promote the eating of pasta, along with its cultural and culinary importance.
The World Pasta Congress engages in everything from encouraging consumers to try new pasta to providing important information to institutions and promotions of this increasingly popular food. Every country is encouraged to celebrate the day in its own way while sharing the logo of the official organisation and participating in the global strategy of World Pasta Day.
Celebrate with these recipes
One of the best ways to celebrate World Pasta Day is by preparing a favourite dish and enjoying the delicious flavours and textures that come along with that noodly goodness. There’s no better way to renew a deep appreciation for it than by wolfing down this healthy and semi-nutritious food. These perfect restaurant quality pasta recipes are sure to make your day…
INGREDIENTS
Dried oregano 1 tsp
Black pepper (crushed) 2 tsp
Cumin seeds (roasted and crushed) 1 tsp
Tarragon leaves dried 1 ½ tsp
Garlic (crushed) 1 tsp
Lemon juice 2 tbsp
Worcestershire sauce 1 tbsp
Olive oil 4 tbsp
Boneless chicken fillet 250g
Butter 1-2 tbsp
Onion (chopped) 1 small
Garlic (chopped) 1 tbsp
Chicken stock 1 cup
Cream 1 cup
Salt 1 tsp or to taste
Parmesan cheese (grated) 3-4 tbsp
Penne pasta (boiled) 200g
Fresh parsley (chopped)
Directions:
* In a bowl, add dried oregano, black pepper crushed, cumin seeds, tarragon leaves, salt, garlic, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and olive oil, mix well and set aside.
* On a clean cutting board, place chicken fillet and cut from the centre into two pieces.
* Cover with cling film and slightly pound fillets with the help of meat mallet.
* Add chicken fillets in marination, cover with cling film and marinate for 30 minutes.
* Grease grill pan with olive oil, place marinated fillets with marination and grill on low flame until done (7-8 minutes each side).
* Cut chicken into slices and set aside.
* In a wok, add olive oil, butter and let it melt.
* Add onion and mix well.
* Add garlic, mix well and cook for a minute.
* Add chicken stock, mix well and bring it to boil.
* Turn off the flame, add cream and whisk well.
* Turn on the flame, add crushed black pepper, tarragon leaves, salt, parmesan cheese and mix well for a minute.
* Add boiled pasta and give it a good mix.
* In a serving bowl, add tarragon pasta, tarragon chicken, garnish with fresh parsley and serve!
Recipe by Rabi Nasar
INGREDIENTS
Peanuts (roasted) 2 tbsp
Red chilli (crushed) 1 ½ tsp
Sesame seeds (roasted) 1 ½ tsp
Garlic (chopped) ½ tbsp
Red chilli powder ¼ tsp or to taste
Chicken powder (optional) 1 tsp
Salt ¼ tsp or to taste
Soy sauce 1 tsp
Dark soy sauce ½ tsp
Hot sauce 1 tbsp
Spring onion (chopped) 1-2 tbsp
Cooking oil 3 tbsp
Spaghetti (boiled) 150g
Directions:
* In a grinder, add peanuts and grind to make powder and set aside.
* In a serving bowl, add red chilli crushed, sesame seeds, garlic, red chilli powder, chicken powder, salt, ground peanuts, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, hot sauce and spring onion.
* In a small saucepan, add cooking oil, heat it on low flame and add it in bowl then mix well.
* Add spaghetti and give it a good mix.
* Garnish with spring onion leaves and serve!
Recipe by Kanwal Mohsin
Recipes courtesy: Food Fusion
