Lemony Orzo Pasta Salad

Looking for a delicious healthy pasta which can be made in less than 30 minutes?? You don't need to search further. Here it is.

Ingredients:

1. Orzo pasta - 1 cup
2. Water - 4 cups
3. Salt to taste
4. Oil - 1 tbs
5. Lemon juice - 2 tbs
6. Dijon mustard paste - 1 tsp
7. Olive oil - 2tbs
8. Green chilli, chopped - 1/2 tsp
9. Green onion sticks, chopped -  1 cup
10. Garlic, minced  - 1 tsp
11. Cherry tomatoes, halved - 10
12. Coriander leaves/ basil leaves , chopped - 2 tbs

Note:

• You may use basmati rice or other pasta instead of Orzo pasta if it is not available
• Please don't substitute normal tomatoes instead of sweet cherry tomatoes

Method:

1. Boil 4 cups of water with salt
2. Add pasta to boiling water and cook it till pasta is soft, around 10-15 minutes or according to the instruction on pasta pack
3. Place the pasta under cool running water and keep the pasta aside
4. Mix all other ingredients except herbs and tomatoes and mix well to make salad dressing.
5. Add tomatoes, pasta and herbs to the dressing and mix it and keep chilled

Serve it chilled or in room temperature.

Garlic chilli pasta/aglio olio pasta

We had been to Bintan for a break in the first week of this year, 2015. Bintan is a small island in Indonesia which is less than an hour ferry from Singapore. Even though the white sand beach, swimming pool and resort was superb, the food in our resort was not so remarkable except the food we had from an Italian restaurant there.  Garlic chilli pasta is what we had from there for our first day dinner and the next day dinner too :). And now it  has become one of my favourite dish. It is spicy and it is garlicky and it can be made in less than 10 minutes. So there is no excuse for not making this super easy dish on any day at home. Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Pasta - 100gm
2. Olive oil - 4 tbs
3. Garlic chopped - 4 big cloves
4. Dried red chilli flakes - 2 tbs
5. Cherry tomatoes(cut into half) - 6-10
6. Coriander leaves finely chopped - 2 tbs
7. Salt to taste

Directions:
 

1. Start cooking pasta as per the instructions given on the package with salt. Stir in between so that pasta doesn't stick to each other
2. When one minute is left for pasta to complete cooking, Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté garlic and chilli flakes in low flame. ( must be very careful not burn garlic or chilli) around 2 min. 
3. Once garlic is sautéed enough, add 1 tbs coriander leaves.
4. When pasta is fully cooked, strain it from water and run cold water on it 
5. Keep 2 cups of water used for cooking pasta for future use. 
6. Add pasta to sautéed garlic and chilli and make sure that pasta is coated with olive oil mixture
7. Add 1 cup of pasta water to pasta and simmer for a minute more. 
8. Add rest of coriander leaves and cherry tomatoes and switch off the flame. 

Serve the pasta while hot!

*if you think pasta needs more water you are free to add the 2 nd cup of pasta water before the last step