Garlic Parmesan Bread Sticks.

BREAD STICKS

(This recipe is an easy fix to round off a perfectly planned Italian Meal. You may serve it with Pasta or with a steaming hot bowl of soup on a a rainy or chill day.)

Ingredients : 

1 egg (optional) , 1/4th cup olive oil (can be substituted by any oil without overpowering aroma) ,

1 tbspn butter , 1 packet (2-1/4th tspn) Active Dry Yeast , 1-1/4th tspn salt 

Dry Ingredients

3.5 cups all purpose flour , 1/4th cup sugar , 1 cup luke warm water

Procedure :

Sift the dry ingredients once to get rid of lumps if any. Add the egg , butter , Olive oil to he flour and mix it well. 

Adding egg is optional. The bread turns out great even without the egg. It makes it even lighter if you add one.

Add lukewarm water to make a semi soft dough. Knead well for about 3-4 minutes.

Place it in a bowl greased with olive oil. Cover and let it sit for 2 hours. 

This activates the yeast and ferments the dough to rise at least twice in volume. After about two hours Punch the 

dough to release the air and knead it for another 3-4 minutes. Make coconut size balls and roll them with a 

rolling pin to form a rectangular shape to 1/2 inch thickness.Place it on a greased baking sheet.

Use a pizza cutter to make sticks.Brush some olive oil on top. Drizzle some garlic powder and parmesan cheese.

Cover and let it sit for another 2 hrs.This process is called “Proofing the Dough”. Proofing ,term used by professional bakers , is the final dough-rise step before baking .
These are advisable times that give good results. If there is a crunch of time , you may wait till the dough rises decently.

Preheat the oven at  350 degrees and bake the sticks for 10-15 minutes. The time it takes to brown the upper crust 

varies depending on the thickness of the dough. So after 10 minutes keep an eye on the oven and extract the sticks when golden brown.

You may serve it with Marinara Sauce or Warm Alfredo Sauce.

Twirl pasta in tomato sauce.

TWIRL PASTA IN TOMATO SAUCE

Pasta provides Smart Nutrition. Paired with tomato sauce and olive oil , pasta is at the center of the healthy Mediterranean diet.

Ingredients :

1 cup twirl pasta , 3/4 cup finely choipped tomatoes ,

1/2 cup long strands of chopped onion , 4 cloves of garlic ,

3 tbspn extra virgin olive oil (evoo), Salt to taste , 1/2 tspn red chilly flakes ,

1/4 tspn oregano , 1/4 tspn dry parsley , 1/4 tspn dried crushed thyme .

(You may use fresh herbs if available).

1/2 tspn hot sauce , 1/4 cup spring onion.

1/2 cup cheddar cheese.

Procedure :

Drop the twirl pasta in boiling water and season it with salt . Let cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat. Once the pasta is cooked Drain the excess water and drizzle EVOO , so that the pasta doesn't stick to each other.

Heat EVOO in a pan , Add finely chopped garlic , followed by onion and tomatoes. Cover the pan till the tomatoes cook well . Add salt to taste , red chilly flakes , parsley , oregano , thyme and salt to season the sauce. Add a little pasta water if need be. Add the chedar cheese and heat till it melts to make a thick sauce. Add the cooked twirl pasta and mix well with the sauce. In the end garnish with spring onion. Pasta is ready to serve.

Ravioli.

RAVIOLI

Ravioli is a type of filled pasta composed of a filling sealed between two layers of thin pasta dough. This entree' takes a lot of time and efforts but the taste pays off well. It is quite filling and just a pair of ravioli can fill one hungry soul.

Ingredients :

For dough

1 cup all Purpose flour , Salt to taste , Oil

For Puree filling

2 cup blanched spinach , Salt to taste , Cheddar cheese ( Any quick melting pasta cheese) , Salt , Pepper , 1 clove of garlic , 1/2 tspn all purpose flour

For Sauce

Finely chopped onions 1/2 Cup , Finely chopped tomatoes 1.5 Cup , 1 Tbspn Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) or any other oil , Salt to taste , 1/2 tspn Crushed Black pepper

Procedure :

Dough

Knead a dough with flour , water , salt , oil . Keep it covered till other ingredients are ready.

Puree Filling

Blend the blanched spinach in minimal water so as to make a thick puree. Heat oil in a pan , Add 1/2 tspn all purpose flour and saute till it looses it raw flavor. Add the puree , Salt , crushed black pepper , cheese and let it simmer till it gets a paste like consistency .

Turn off the heat and let cool till the spinach paste reaches room temperature. Roll out small balls of the dough previously made in pairs. Place one on a flat surface . Carefully place one tbspn spinach paste on top.

Cover it with another rolled out ball of dough . Press the loose ends carefully . Use a fork to press down the end. This ensures that the ends are locked in. This is a Ravioli.

Boil water in a Pasta Pot with a tablespoon full of oil . Drop the ravioli(s) in the pot and let it cook on high heat for about 8-10 minutes.

Sauce :

To make the sauce , heat oil in a pan and saute finely chopped onion and tomatoes till they cook well. Add salt and crushed black pepper . Add 1/4th cup water and let boil.

Turn off the heat.

To serve Ravioli : Place the ravioli in a baking pan . Slather the Sauce on top. Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese . Top it all with Mushroom (optional).

Bake them at 350 degree for about 10 minutes. Ravioli is ready to serve.

Variation : The filling may be meat-based (either red or poultry), fish-based, or cheese-based. Ravioli can be rectangular, triangular, half-moon or circular in shape. Other traditional Italian filings may include a puree made of potatoes, mushrooms, pumpkin or artichokes.

Spinach Pasta.

SPINACH PASTA.

(Out of the hundreds of different types of Pasta , its upto your imagination and taste buds to serve a hearty delicious Italian meal. You cannot miss the chance to use the variety of ingredients to make a sauce of your choice and pleas crowds.)

Ingredients :

1 cup spinach , 2 tbspn extra virgin olive oil - EVOO ( or butter , or vegetable oil) ,

1 tbspn finely chopped garlic , 1/4th Cup finely chopped onion ,

1/4th cup Corn nibblets ,

Salt to taste , Black pepper , 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese , red chilly flakes,

1.5 cup pasta .

Procedure :

Heat approx 3/4th Gallon water in a big pot. Drop the pasta in the water . This is the only time you get to season the pasta . Add salt to taste. Adding oil to the pasta may not let the seasoning do its work. Its important to stir the pasta for the first few minutes as it looses the starch and tend to stick to eachother if not stirred. You may use pasta of your choice. Another option is to use an assortment of pasta to add interest (twirls , penne , fetuccini , shell etc.) Let the pasta boil till it turns white in color for approximately 15 minutes.

Blanch the spinach in hot water . Grind it well to make fine puree. Remember you will not get the fresh green color if spinach is overheated.

Heat EVOO in a pan and saute garlic and onion and corn nibblets till they loose its raw taste. Add the spinach puree , salt to taste and cheese . Heat it on a low flame just till the cheese melts.

Its now time marry the pasta with the sauce. Mix well and turn off the heat. Garnish the pasta with grated parmsan cheese and chilly flakes. Serve it hot with a cob of boiled corn or baked vegetables.

Bruschetta.

BRUSCHETTA.

(About Bruschetta : This is a food that consists of toasted/grilled bread topped with a variety of sauces. The sauce can be refrigerated in glass containers for several days . Can be served for evening snacks or as starters)

Ingredients : (Serves 3)

2 Tomatoes , Salt to taste , 2 pinches Crushed Pepper , 2 Garlic cloves ,
1/4th Cup Chopped Onion , ½ th tspn Dried Oregano , A pinch of Ajwain , 1 tbspn Oil ,
½ tspn red chilly powder , ½ tspn sugar ,1/2 tspn All purpose flour .
6 slices of bread , ½ Cup mozarella cheese , ½ cup steamed corn niblets.

Procedure :
Boil Tomatoes in water to cook. Blend them in a Mixer to make a puree.

Heat Oil in a pan . Add finely chopped Garlic and onion. Cook well. Add all purpose flour to the pan and stir it well . (This acts as a thickening agent and by mixing it to hot oil we remove the raw flavour out of the flour) . Add Tomato Puree , salt , oregano , Ajwain , sugar , chilly powder . Let it come to a boil. The sauce is ready. Let the sauce cool down before you spread it on the bread.

Remove the edges of the bread . Toast the bread slices on both sides . You may do it on a Tawa. It becomes more crisp if you toast it in the oven (375 degree Approx 3 mins each side).

Spread the tomato sauce on one side of the toast . Top it with a layer of mozarella cheese and spread some corn niblets over the cheese. Bake it in the oven for another 5-7 mins (till the chees on top melts) . You may garnish it with dried oregano and red chilly flakes.

Bruschetta is ready to serve. Tastes best when served hot.

Variations : Advisable variations in sauce may include spinach sauce. You may use white bread or wheat bread as a base.