My Pasta & Del Monte Experience!!

My love for Indian and Italian cuisine is a never-ending quest. Besides hunting for new dishes I love to experiment with food. It might not end-up tasty every while but most of the times it does. Whatsoever the result maybe I never stop the experimentation at my kitchen. It’s not just me but my husband who acts as a guinea for most of my kitchen experiments. 

Like any other man, the best way to reach his heart would be via his stomach and I am an expert when it comes to reaching hearts. But he hates anything that says Cheese and Italian. And I have been in a mission to make him eat things that he hates the most. I am meaning to sound adamant here but most of the foods that he hates are delicious ones if prepared and presented well. I didn’t want him to miss the experience of eating delicious foods. 

There have been two inspirations that made me cook up this dish. (1) My husband - the urge to make him eat Italian food and aubergine and (2) The blogging contest by DelMonte. Coming to the preparation experience of my Italian dish with some Indian touches.

What name shall I keep for the dish?

Pane Melanzana Pasta in Paneer Sauce - Toasted garlic bread, grilled cheese aubergine topped with Pasta in Paneer butter masala sauce.

How much time does the preparation and cooking take?

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Cooking Time - 45-50 mins

Portion Size - For 2 People

A three yummy dishes leads to the fusion of my gigantic delicious Italian dish. The garlic bread, grilled aubergine and saucy pasta.

What do you need to prepare ‘The Crispy Garlicy Bread’?

Ingredients

Sandwich Bread - 2 Slices

Garlic Paste - 1 Tsp

Butter

Here’s how I did the garlicy bread:

1.     Cut the edges around the bread slices

2.     Apply butter to both the sides of the bread

3.     Apply garlic paste to one side of the bread

4.     Toast the bread in a toaster / tawa

Garlic Bread

The Garlic Bread toast is READY to be plated!

What all you need to prepare ‘Grilled Aubergine’?

Ingredients

Aubergine - 2 Thin slices

Cheese - Mix of Cheddar and Parmesan (It is completely your choice when it comes to cheese)

Olive Oil

Pepper Powder - ½ Tsp

Chilli Flakes - 1 Tsp

Mixed Herb - ½ Tsp

Garlic Paste - 1 Tsp

Salt - To Taste

How to make the grilled aubergine?

1.     Aubergine Marination: Add Olive oil, Pepper powder, Chilli Flakes, Mixed Herb, Garlic Paste and Salt to the Aubergine. Make sure the mix is applied evenly throughout the aubergine. Let the aubergine marinate for 20-30 mins.

2.     On a tawa, add some olive oil. Grill the marinated aubergine on the tawa, both the sides (2 mins each)

3.     Add cheese on one side of aubergine, cover the aubergine using a lid. Cook them for another 1-2 mins until the cheese gets melted.

Grilled Aubergine

The Grilled Aubergines are READY to be plated!

Here’s my twist to Pasta Arrabiata with Paneer Butter Masala. What ingredients do you need to make ‘Pasta Butter Masala’?

Ingredients

Step 1 - First let’s boil the Pasta

Ingredients: Del Monte Paste - 50-60 grams (Any type can be used), Olive Oil, Salt - To Taste

Many would indeed know how to boil the paste but still.

Boil water, add salt and olive oil in the water. Add the pasta once the water boils. Follow the instructions behind the Del Monte pasta packet

Pasta

Step 2 - Secondly it’s the crispy Paneer

Ingredients:

Oil (refined oil)

Paneer - 10-20 grams

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Tsp

Chilli Powder - 1 Tsp

Ginger Paste - 1/2 Tsp

Garlic Paste - 1/2 Tsp

Rice Flour - 2 Tsp

Besan Flour - 2 Tsp

Salt - To Taste

Lemon Juice - Half

1.     Paneer Marination - Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, ginger paste, garlic paste, rice flour, besan flour, salt, lemon juice to the paneer. Make sure the paneer is coated evenly with the marination. Let it rest for 15 mins.

2.     Heat the oil for deep fry, add the marinated paneer. Do not overcook the paneer as they may become rubbery. It takes 3-5 mins in a medium-low flame.

Paneer Fry

Yum, paneer fry is ready.

Step 3 - Finally, the Paneer Butter Masala

Butter - 3 cubes (2 Tbsp)

Cumin Seeds - ¼ Tsp

Ginger Paste - 1 Tsp

Garlic Paste - 1 Tsp

Green Chillies - 2 (slit)

Onion - 1 (sliced)

Tomato Puree - using 3

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Tsp

Chilli Powder - 2-3 Tsp

Coriander Powder - 1 Tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1 Tsp

Milk or Cream - Optional

Fried Paneer

Boiled Pasta

Cheese - Mix of Cheddar and Parmesan

·     In the pan, add butter. Once the butter melts, add cumin seeds and let it crack.

·     Add garlic paste, ginger paste, green chillies. Saute them. Add the sliced onions, wait until the onions turn light brown and then add the tomato puree.

·    It’s masala time now! Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder. Let the mix cook for sometime until the raw smell goes off and oil starts oozing out on the sides in the vessel.

Saute the Ingredients

·      This is completely optional, I added 3 Tsp of milk. (It gives the richness and flavor but you might avoid as the dish is already filled with richness else add Cream)

·      Add the fried paneer and boiled pasta. Mix them well into the butter masala sauce. Add some water if you want them to be more saucier.

Add Paneer & Pasta

·        And finally, the king - cheese. Add the cheese as per your taste.

It's Cheese Time

Mouth-watering Pasta Butter Masala is ready.

And let me plate all the different dishes together. Here’s how I served them,

1.     Drizzle some olive oil over the plate. Add a sprinkle of chilli flakes and mixed herb on the oil

2.     Place garlic bread slices. Keep the grilled aubergine on top of the bread. Now keep the pasta on the top.

3.     Finally, sprinkle cheese and coriander leaves.

 

It's Time to Make it Look Attractive!

And here’s deliciousness on a plate. And this is indeed how I served the dish to my husband. Everything he hated was on a plate, yet he loved it. 

Do try out and share your comments.

Pane Melanzana Pasta in Paneer Sauce

p.s. this is an official entry to Del Monte Italian food contest. Check out their yummy dishes at https://www.facebook.com/DelMonteIndia and http://www.fieldfreshfoods.in/

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