Farfalle Pasta in Olive Salsa Sauce
Bow shaped pasta tossed in a simple olive salsa and herbs. Add a portion of garlic bread and a glass of wine if you like to complete this meal. Do keep in mind that the olives are pickled in brine and so you may need to be a little cautious while adding the salt to this recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 cups farfalle pasta
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 1 to 2 tablespoons tomato purée
- ¼ cup chopped green olives
- ¼ cup chopped black olives
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoons chopped coriander
- ¼ cup dried herbs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ tablespoon paprika
- salt and freshly crushed pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the farfalle till it is almost done; drain and refresh in cold water. Keep aside till required.
- Heat the oil, add the onions and garlic and sauté for a few seconds.
- Add the tomato puree and the olives and simmer for a few seconds.
- Add the coriander, herbs, salt, pepper and the pasta and toss gently, till the pasta is hot.
- Serve hot sprinkled with the paprika.
Notes
- The secret of cooking pasta is to use ample water. Always cook pasta in a large pan of boiling water with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of oil.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water by adding a few strands or one sheetof pasta at a time.
- Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally and gently until the pasta is tender.
- Cooked pasta should be 'al dente' or firm to the bite. Undercooked pasta has a taste of raw flour whereas overcooked pasta will be soft and sticky.
- akes a little longer than the fresh version. Very small pasta may cook in 5 minutes (like spaghetti, dried lasagne sheets), while large shapes may require 10 minutes (like macaroni, fusilli, conchiglie. Fresh pasta will take about 3 to 5 minutes to cook.
- Immediately drain the cooked pasta in a sieve or a colander. Transfer to a bowl of cold water to refresh it. Drain again and keep aside.
- If the pasta is not used immediately, add 1 tablespoon of oil to it and toss it.
- Two cups of dried pasta will yield 3 cups of cooked pasta. This quantity is sufficient for 4 persons. Fresh pasta does not increase much in volume whilst cooking, as it does not absorb much water.