If I Were Not Indian I Would Be Italian

3 min readAug 11, 2021

Have you ever created accidental recipes? Sometimes these accidental recipes turn out to be so good that you hate ordering those dishes in a restaurant and prefer cooking it yourself.

I always felt that I was never good at cooking. Until the age of 26, when I moved to Dubai I started cooking solo with no mom supervision.

I love trying out new cuisines, I tasted dishes like Pasta, Noodles, Rice, Sushi in India but all of them were A La Indian. In Dubai I was exposed to a lot of other cuisines that were authentic. It felt like a burst of exotic flavours which slowly grew on me to become one of my favourite cuisines. The first time was a mandate trial, the next few times I relished the new flavours, Lebanese, Arabic, Italian, and Thai.

In the mid-covid period of 2020 came out a viral TikTok video of Cherry Tomato Feta Cheese Pasta and I knew I had to try it. With no experience in handling the oven, I decided to make it on the stove. After a couple of attempts and some goof-ups, I innovated a completely new dish. Here are two recipes that I’m going to share to make amazing Italian pasta at home.

Cherry Tomatoes Pasta

Ingredients

Olive Oil
Garlic Cloves Medium (7–8)
250 gms Cherry Tomatoes
Coriander
Paprika/Chili Powder
Italian Seasoning, Pepper, Salt
Spaghetti 500g (I prefer whole wheat)
Parmesan Shredded Cheese

Step 1

Soak in cherry tomatoes, 1 chopped onion, chopped garlic, coriander, in olive oil. Sprinkle some salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning on them. Wait for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Boil some spaghetti pasta as you like al dente or soft.

Step 2

Slow cook the tomatoes and other ingredients till the tomatoes are squishy. Add paprika, give it a mix.

Step 3

Add the pasta into the cooking pan and give it a mix. Make sure you don’t break the spaghetti. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese and you are ready to serve.

Pesto Sauce Pasta

Ingredients

Olive Oil
Garlic Cloves Medium (4–5)
Basil 1.5 cups
Walnut & Cashew (1–2 each)
Pine nuts 1/4 cup
Salt
Spaghetti 500g (I prefer whole wheat)
Parmesan Shredded Cheese
Salted Butter

Step 1 –

Crush all the ingredients in mortar one by one, start with garlic, pine nuts, cashew, walnuts, and parmesan cheese. Add in basil and grind with a rotary movement. Add a pinch of salt. Once it turns into a paste add 75 gms of olive oil and mix it well. Add some butter for a creamy texture. Set it aside

Step 2 –

Boil some spaghetti pasta as you like al dente or soft. Keep some pasta water for later.

Step 3 –

Mix the cooked pasta with pesto sauce in a serving bowl, add a little pasta water to it. Mix well, garnish and serve.

My tip is to keep this pasta aside in the refrigerator for a day and then taste it. The pesto seeps into the spaghetti for 24 hours making it even more delicious.

I think Italian cuisine is close to Indian and one of the simplest to cook. These are two of my simplest recipes with minimum ingredients. I hope you love them and do let me know your feedback.

Krutika Kavishwar