Italian Masala

I am really struggling with what to name this pasta dish.  Besides it being delicious, it is not a recipe that I have seen executed by other chefs.  Said differently, it is not a cooking method I have seen used for making a marinara sauce.  What does this mean?  As I have done in the past with my Mexican Masala Lentils, I took the Indian method of preparing a paste and made it Italian style.  I really like the flexibility of working with these pastes.  In this case, the transformation was quite simple.  I still roasted shallots and garlic.  This time, however, the base ingredients included fresh herbs of basil, parsley and rosemary.  The spices included Italian seasonings included oregano, red pepper flakes and basil.  And my Italian Masala was created. 

 

Italian Masala

Italian Masala

When I original had the idea to try Italian Masala, my plan was to use it as a sauce in poaching some chicken breasts.  I still want to do this and think that this preparation might be the best utilization for this paste.  For my pasta, I followed the same procedure that I have done with my Masala Lentils and my Yellow Curry Chicken.

The paste is developed by putting all the ingredients including tomato paste in a Cuisinart.  After the paste is formed, some avocado oil is heated in a skillet and the paste (half of the paste) is added to further release its flavors.  Then, a can of Italian spiced diced tomatoes and eventually a little bit of coconut milk is added to make this more of a cream sauce.  The result is an incredibly flavorful sauce with a thicker texture than a marinara.  It is really quite easy to make and the thick sauce/gravy is perfect for a bigger noodle like a fetticcini.

Italian Masala

2015-11-23 22:31:15

Serves 8

Adapting an Indian paste cooking method to its Italian cousin.

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Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

1 hr 30 min

Total Time

1 hr 40 min

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

1 hr 30 min

Total Time

1 hr 40 min

Ingredients

1. 3 tablespoons Avocado oil, divided
2. 4 shallots
3. 3 heads of garlic
4. 1 tablespoon olive oil
5. 1/4 cup fresh parsley
6. 2 tablespoons fresh basil
7. 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
8. 2 tablespoons tomato paste
9. 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
10. 1 tablespoon dried basil
11. 1 tablespoon dried oregano
12. 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
13. 1 small yellow onion, diced
14. 15 ounces garlic and basil diced tomatoes
15. 4 ounces coconut milk
16. Salt & pepper to taste.
17. 1 pound fresh fettuccini noodles

Instructions

1. Begin by cutting the very top of the heads of garlic off.
2. Drizzle the garlic and the shallots with the olive oil.
3. Enclose the garlic and the shallots in separate tin foil containers and place in a 350 and cook for 1 hour.
4. In a food processor, add the garlic shallots, parsley, basil, rosemary and the dried ingredients and pulse.
5. Give a couple pulse to incorporate. Next, add 2 tablespoons of the avocado oil and tomato paste.
6. Pulse until paste forms and everything is well incorporated. Set aside.
7. Heat the remaining avocado oil in a skillet on medium heat.
8. Add in about 1 cup of the Italian masala paste with the diced onion.
9. Simmer for 4 - 5 minutes so the onions soften and the pastes releases its herbs.
10. Next, add in the tomatoes and cook for 1 minute.
11. Season with salt & pepper.
12. Add the coconut milk, mix well and simmer for 5 - 10 minutes.
13. The sauce will thicken up.
14. Cook the noodles in boiling water for approximately 2 minutes.
15. Top the cooked noodles with a lot of the sauce.
16. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

1. Box noodles can be used as well.

Feed Your Soul Too http://www.feedyoursoul2.com/

The cast of characters.

Ingredients

Forming the paste in the Cuisinart.

Roasted Shallots and Garlic

Paste Ingredients In Cuisinart

Adding the paste to the skillet, followed by the tomatoes and the coconut milk.

Onions & Paste in Skillet

Onions & Paste Mixed

Tomatoes Added

Coconut Milk Added

All Mixed

The Italian Masala plated.  

Italian Masala Plated

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Italian Masala

Adapting an Indian paste cooking method to its Italian cousin.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Servings 8 people

Author Feed Your Soul Too

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp Avocado Oil divided
• 4 whole Shallots
• 3 Whole Heads of Garlic
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley
• 2 tbsp Fresh Basil
• 2 tsp Fresh Rosemary
• 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 1 tbsp Dried Italian Seasoning
• 1 tbsp Dried Basil
• 1 tbsp Dried Oregano
• 2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 whole Small Yellow Onion diced
• 15 Ounces Garlic and Basil Diced Tomatoes
• 4 Ounces Coconut Milk
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 lb Fresh Pasta