Pasta la vista, baby!

While the origins of pasta are debatable, its popularity isn’t. This carb-loaded treat is now getting a desi twist, writes Preeti Verma Lal

Any debate about the beginning of pasta can get saucy. The Italians claim it as their own, but the purists cut through their pasta-puff by attesting that pasta is a likely descendant of ancient Asian noodles and was brought to Italy from China. That notion stemming from the fact that the dough, made from a combination of flour and water or eggs, all simple components have been around for centuries.

Back to the origins

Tracing the beginnings of pasta, researchers have even dug into the writings of Horace wherein he mentions lagana (probably lasagna). In the second century, Athenaeus of Naucratis provided a recipe for lagana while an early fifth-century cookbook describes lagana as a dish that consisted layers of dough with meat stuffing, an ancestor of modern-day lasagna. The origins of pasta are still debated but it is certain that first mentioned in English in 1874, the word ‘pasta’ comes from Italian ‘pasta’, in turn from Latin ‘pasta’ which is Latinisation of the Greek word for barley porridge.

What sets pasta apart from other noodles is the use of durum wheat to create the unleavened dough. Durum wheat’s high-gluten content and low moisture make it perfectly suited to pasta production. The first evidence of pasta being boiled comes from the Jerusalem Talmud. Pasta was likely boiled before the Talmud was written, but this is the first text reference to the cooking method.

Early Spanish settlers were among the first to bring pasta to America. And it was American President Thomas Jefferson who gave pasta an initial push into popularity after his first encounter with the dish in Paris. Today, pasta is everywhere — from the ordinary pasta to the world’s most expensive pasta topped with lobster and black truffle oil priced at $2,013.

Many to choose from

With so much history in that wheat-water-egg dough, came the variants. Not one, not two, not three. But tens of different kinds of pasta: pappardelle (a wide egg noodle with Tuscan origins), farfalle (shaped like a bow tie), campanelle (literally, bellflower, great for thick, creamy, or meaty sauces), bucatini (like spaghetti, but hollow), gnocchi (tiny, soft dumplings traditionally made from potato, egg and flour), orecchiette (literally, little ears), orzo (looks like rice), ravioli (square pillows of dough that can be filled with cheese, meat, veggies, or even seafood).

Delving into pasta sizes and sauces, Japvir Singh Vohra, executive chef, Hilton Jaipur, explains how each shape behaves differently with every sauce. Generally, short tubular pastas match well with heavier meat-based or vegetable sauces, while long, skinny pastas are best paired with olive oil-based sauces. Frutti di mare, the seafood sauce, is best paired with linguini and spaghetti; tagliatelle and pappardelle go very well with bolognese sauce. Angel hair might be served with olive oil and parsley, and linguini with tiny clams.

“Not all pastas need to be loaded with cheese. As a principle, avoid sprinkling parmesan over seafood-based pasta dishes. Adding a dash of virgin olive oil to the cooked pasta off the flame at the very end really livens up the dish,” adds Chef Vohra, who swears by the sheer simplicity of spaghetti aglio olio peperoncino and the flavours of tagliatelloni in truffle butter, a dish perfected by his instructor Chef Mandar Sukhtankar.

Sandeep Choudhary, executive chef, Ibis New Delhi Aerocity, gives pasta an Indian twist. Penne in a makhni sauce! “Penne makhni might sound odd but the Indian-Italian flavours work really well. I have used fresh cream with salted butter along with onion-tomato masala and they work very well together. This dish is also super easy and super fast to make,” Chef Choudhary adds.

Dos and don’ts

* Boil the pasta perfectly. The water should be rolling boiling before the pasta is added, so it recuperates from the drop in temperature due to the addition of pasta.

* The water should be distinctly salty in taste for it to impart saltiness to the pasta upon cooking.

* Pasta expands to over twice its volume upon cooking. Allow at least 10 times the amount of water to the weight of pasta.

* Some recipes call for the addition of olive oil to the water to prevent the pasta from sticking. But I feel this is a waste. A far more reliable method is to drain the cooked pasta onto an open pan, drizzle olive oil over it, and gently toss the pasta.

* The doneness of pasta is a contentious issue but remember that authentic pasta experience calls for pasta to have a bit of a bite.

(Source: Japvir Singh Vohra, executive chef, Hilton Jaipur)

Penne Makhni

Penne makhni

Ingredients:

Penne: 65 gm

Peeled garlic: 10 gm

Green chillies: 5 gm

Tomato makhni gravy: 120 gm

Onion tomato gravy: 80 gm

Red chilli powder: 10 gm

Red chilli flakes: 5 gm

Fresh cream: 20 gm

Butter salted: 40 gm

Parmesan cheese: 10 gm

Boneless chicken breast: 120 gm (optional)

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped garlic and green chillies. Brown well.

• Add tomato makhni gravy & onion/
tomato gravy. Saute till oil separates.

• Add butter and chilli powder. Add penne and toss.

• Add water as needed to adjust the sauce to a coating consistency.

• Finish with cream, parmesan cheese and chilli flakes.

• For chicken penne makhni, add diced chicken before the gravies and cook till done. Then proceed as mentioned above.

(Courtesy: Sandeep Choudhary, executive chef, Ibis New Delhi Aerocity)