THE BEST PASTA FROM RUCHI'S PRECARIOUS KITCHEN!

Hey, those of you who want to taste the best Pasta dish ever, take the following route and end up in the culinary heaven! I am sure chefs, connoisseurs, epicures and gourmets will disagree with me but who gives a damn anyway; it is you the public that I really care about, so let’s have Ruchi’s Special Pasta and make them ‘Go Green’ with Envy. 

RUCHI’S ‘GO GREEN’ WITH ENVY PASTA (SINCE 2006)

IN 14 SUPER-EASY STEPS

IF I CAN DO IT, YOU CAN DO IT BETTER!

1. Boil the pasta and make sure that while they are properly boiled, they don’t go all soggy or break but stay nice and firm. 
2. Drain all the water out and to keep the pasta from sticking with each other, rinse it with cold water.
3. In a wok/deep pan/kadhai, put some olive oil. 
4. Add chopped baby spinach (Take reasonable quantity of baby spinach because once in the wok with the heat on, the mass substantially diminishes.) 
5. Put salt and pepper as per taste. 
6. Add the boiled pasta to it and stir well so that everything mixes properly and the pasta starts looking green. 
7. Add finely chopped Italian herbs including any or all of the following: Dill, Basil, Thyme, Rosemary (I like to avoid it, it’s a little bitter), parsley, sage, oregano, chives, marjoram etc. (I would like to put in at least 4 or 5 of these.) 
8. Add dry oregano (preferably) or any of the above mentioned herbs, dried. 
9. Add 1 and a half to 2 heaped tablespoons of basil pesto. (If you are buying it, I like the one with pine nuts in it.) 
10. You can add more salt and pepper if need be. 
11. Mix everything together. 
12. Nothing really needs major cooking. Just as everything is nicely heated and mixed together, you can turn the flame off. 
13. To serve, garnish with olive oil, dried oregano and grated parmesan. 14. Before starting, say, “Ruchi’s pasta is the best pasta ever. Amen!”

FOR YOU DIETER BEHNS AND BHAIS,

THIS RECIPE IS A BLESSING IN DISGUISE...

JUST REMOVE THE GARNISH

AND RELISH THE DISH!

AND THOSE OF YOU, WHO DON'T GIVE A DAMN

ABOUT DIET AND SUCH OTHER SHAM,

ADD SOME OLIVE OIL, PUT IN SOME PARMESAN

AND THANK RUCHI FOR HER CULINARY IMAGINATION!

I must tell you guys that the only reason of my unveiling my secret recipe is that I don’t know when next I will get a chance to cook this dish myself. In Australia I used to be able to find some really good pasta and all the Italian herbs that made the dish possible in the first place; I don’t know where to go for the same in India. So those of you who know where to find these things, Good for you! Whereas, the ignorant ones like myself, Bad Luck! Of course the ignorant but creative ones, All the best! because I trust you to take inspiration from this and evolve it into your own dish with local ingredients and hence a ‘local flavour’.

Note to myself from the future (added in 2012): All the ingredients needed to make this dish are available in supermarkets and stores like 'Nature's Basket' and it's quite a hit with all your friends!