Pasta, with its long, multicultural history, is a culinary connection to our past.

One of the most easiest dish to cook if cooked with correct technique. And Italian food is something that can get one started in cooking. For me it has been a cuisine that not only helped my interest grow but also made me technically sound as well. Pasta is one of the worlds most accessible foods. Nearly every country has its own unique version of this popular, inexpensive staple.

Here is my take on the popular Aglio e Olio, an authentic pasta recipe in which Spaghetti is sautéed in olive oil with garlic. As I believe pasta is multicultural, so I have tried to infuse the dish with Indian flavours of curry leaves and coconut. Replacing olive oil with coconut oil giving the dish an earthy and sweet taste with curry leaves giving a character to the pasta with its pungent and strong aroma. And the use of peanuts for the crunch. This south Indian touch to the dish surely elevates it to level.

While we do think of pasta as a culturally Italian food, it is likely the descendent of ancient Asian noodles. A common belief about pasta is that it was brought to Italy from China by Marco Polo during the 13th century. In his book, “The Travels of Marco Polo, there is a passage that briefly mentions his introduction to a plant that produced flour (possibly breadfruit tree). The Chinese used this plant to create a meal similar to barley flour. The barley-like meal Polo mentioned was used to make several pasta-like dishes, including one described as Lagana (lasagna).