Bow Tie Pasta Salad

We had been to Lake Geneva and Chicago for the Memorial day weekend...I had been looking forward to the trip since my friend and her family joined us for the trip to Lake Geneva and we got to spend couple of days with her in Down Town Chicago....it was my dream to stay in down town Chicago and roam around Michigan Avenue!! It was a dream come true and the kids (my son and her son) had a whale of time....We got to taste the best food in town! I got to visit my fav Whole Foods - it was in the same building and I was looking forward to it....went on a shopping spree 'buying all kind of stuff - pine nuts - the one I was looking for, macadamia nut, arugula ...etc etc'...

When we came back from our trip...I whipped up a nice Italian meal...with arugula salad, pasta and couscous desert pudding.  I love the pine nuts - the crunchiness from it....I have never seen such a costly nut...we paid around $ 10 for it! Saved the rest in my freezer for future.

All of us loved the pasta..it was simple yet delicious ..in the sense  though it did not have the usual sauces....it  tasted better...my husband just loved it.

Ingredients:

Farfalle Pasta 2 Cups

Any Vegetable of your choice - I used broccoli, peas, beans, colored bell pepper and spinach

3/4th Tsp Dried Basil

1/2 Tsp Dried Parsley

3/4th Tsp Pepper powder

Parmesan Cheese

Olive Oil

Salt to taste

Boil the water and add salt and pasta to it. Cook it al dante (to the bite). After about 8 minutes turn off the gas and use a colander to drain the water (but save the water).

Take oil in a pan and add the vegetables and saute it. When they are cooked add the dried basil, dried parsley, salt, pepper and pasta to it. Cook for couple of more minutes. Add the pepper and the parmesan cheese.....Pasta is ready to the served.

If you are planning to serve it later. Heat the pasta by sprinkling the water that you reserved while draining the pasta and you can add little bit more cheese and serve it with focaccia bread for the side. Focaccia bread is my favorite...We buy it all the time from panera!  In one of the restaurants that we visit they serve this bread with a dip by combining - "olive oil, pepper and parmesan cheese". You can cut the bread into a long piece wrap it in a kitchen towel and microwave it for few minutes and serve with the dip as a side for your pasta...Enjoy the delicious, simple pasta!

Fettuccine Pasta in Peanut Sauce

The inspiration to make the recipe was from our visit to noodles and company a month ago!! My husband had ordered Pasta with Indonesian style peanut sauce...I am not a great fan of all these spaghetti kind of noodles and hence went for my favorite penne pasta. But I tasted what he had and you know it tasted like our gun powder ...I guess that was from the sesame and red chilly powder in it. I wanted to try it at home some time. I make Pasta varities since it turns out easier to pack it for his lunch.

I made this with the things I had at home. It may miss one or more of items than what may go into it...but still tasted good. I have heard the cayenne pepper is normally used in Thai cooking but I did not have it with me hence substituted that with red chillies (paprika)....

Ingredients ( serves around 6):

1/2 Pack Fettuccine Pasta
2 Cups Broccoli Florets
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Pack Organic Tofu
Few Tsp Olive Oil

For the Sauce:

Unsalted Roasted Peanuts Handfull (with no skin)
1 Tsp Sesame Seeds
3 Red Chillies
2 TBSPN Butter at room temperature (you may skip it...I always love to mix cheese or butter to my pasta)
1 Tbspn Lemon juice
1 Inch Piece Ginger
Salt to taste

Dry roast the sesame seeds and red chillies separately.
If the peanuts you are using is not a roasted one then you may roast it in the microwave before grinding it.
Grind together Peanuts, Sesame seeds, Red Chillies and Ginger.
Add the butter and salt to the Peanut sauce.

Marinate the tofu in olive oil for an hour.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 Deg F.
Bake the Tofu till it starts getting golden say about 45 minutes to an hour.

Cook the Pasta as mentioned in the package (make sure to add salt....I keep forgetting to add it)
Take Olive Oil in a pan
Add the veggies but do not make it too soggy. Take it out of the pan.
Take some sesame oil.
Add the pasta and the peanut sauce. Cook it for 5 to 10 minutes. Since all the ingredients used have been roasted before making the sauce you need not cook it for a long time with pasta.
Add more salt if needed.
I learnt one thing about adding veggies to pasta. If you are adding the veggies while making the pasta and serving it later...they kind of get soggy especially when using sauces like marinara, alfredo etc. Hence,  add the vegetables and tofu just before serving by way of topping it. It stays fresh, crisp and tastes better.

Take Pasta in the plate and the veggies and tofu. ...drizzle few drops of sesame oil....heat it and serve!!