Spaghetti in a Madras Curry Sauce

Now, I know that any Italian will cringe at the thought of such a combination, but I assure you that it is not bad at all. Be adventurous! :) Fusion cuisine can be a lot of fun (unfortunately, not always successful! :) )

Since pasta is a staple in our household, I came up with this really easy and quick pasta sauce inspired by Indian flavors. This is yet another one of those recipies I came up with having an empty fridge. :) It's ideal for spaghetti. I recommend a visit to a nearby Indian market to get excellent curry powders.

Ingredients (4 servings)
Spaghetti, 1 lb approx.
1 - 2 tbs mild Madras curry powder (to taste)
1 pint whipping cream

Preparation

1. Pour the whipping cream in a saucepan.
2. Stir in the curry powder and bring to a boil over medium heat.
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the sauce reaches a thick and creamy consistency, approx. 15 minutes.
4. Mix the sauce with the spaghetti and let sit in a covered pot for approx. 5 minutes. It will give the pasta some time to absorb the sauce flavors. Make sure the pasta is not overcooked or it will become soggy. :)

Note: Start with 1 tbs of curry and taste the sauce after it has cooked for about 5 minutes. Curry takes some time to realease all its flavors and its spicyness. If you try the sauce as soon as you add the curry, it will taste like you didn't add enough curry. However, after allowing the powder some time to melt into the cream, the flavor and spicyness will intensify. If you think the flavor is not strong enough or if you want more heat in it, add more curry powder in 1/2 tbs increments and taste again after you allow it to mix with the cream for a while. If you add too much curry powder from the beginning, the end result might be too hot for you.

Keep in mind that curry powder is a mixture of spices, and these mixture varies slightly from producer to producer. It can to contain more than 10 different spices. You can keep trying different brands until you find your favourite. Or you can try and make your own! :) One of my future projects is to try and make this one:

http://www.recipezaar.com/Madras-Curry-Powder-174350

Enjoy! :)

Spaghetti in a Caramelized Red Pepper and Cognac Pink Sauce

The first recipe I want to share is very simple. I came up with it on a Thursday night, with an almost empty fridge and an almost empty pantry. Great start to be creative! :)

I had some cream in the fridge leftover from another recipe and had to use it. Since I always have tomato sauce at home, garlic and pasta, I decided to make a quick pink sauce (tomato sauce, cream and garlic). As I was sauteing the garlic, I discovered a red bell pepper in the fridge and a red chili. I thought to myself:

"Mmmm... this could be interesting... the sweetness of the red pepper... the sweetness of the cream... a kick from the red chili.... let's give it a try! :)"

I decided to saute the bell pepper at high heat to caramelize it. Then I added the red chili. As the fumes started to reach my nose I thought:

"Mmmm... this smokiness.... what could complement it? .... .... .... Cognac!!!"

I added some cognac to deglaze the pan and the smell of it confirmed I was on the right track! :) Then I added the cream and the tomato sauce and let it simmer for a while. I tasted it and realized that the skin from the roasted pepper had added some bitterness to the mixture. I added some sugar to fix it and voilá! The spaghetti sauce was ready!

Although Goran was a bit skeptical about the concoction before trying it ("spaghetti with a caramelized pepper pink sauce!?!?", he actually like it! Here are the details:

Ingredients (4 servings)
Spaghetti, 1 lb approx.
Olive oil
1 Red bell pepper, diced
2 Cloves of garlic, thinly chopped
1 Red chili, cut in rings
2 shot glasses of cognac
1 pint of cream
1 small can of tomato sauce
Salt
Pepper
Sugar (if needed)

Preparation

1. Saute the garlic in olive oil at medium heat
2. Add the red bell pepper and turn heat to high. Stir constantly until the peppers turn a light shade of brown and you can smell the smokiness coming out of them.
3. Add the red chili and turn heat down to medium. Saute for a couple of minutes.
4. Add the cognac and reduce at medium heat.
5. Add the cream and the tomato sauce and reduce heat to low.
6. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook for approx. 15 minutes, then taste.
7. If it is too bitter, add a teaspoon of sugar. Cook another 5 minutes, then taste again. If it is still too bitter, add some more sugar (to taste).
8. Cook until you reach the desired consistency. I personally like this pink sauce to be more on the thick side.
9. Mix the sauce with the spaghetti and let sit in a covered pot for approx. 5 minutes. It will give the pasta some time to absorb the sauce flavors. Make sure the pasta is not overcooked or it will become soggy. :)

Buen provecho!! :)