Creamy pasta meets spicy Indian masala to create a pasta dish that explodes with flavour! So simple yet extremely satisfying. Who can say no to an extra plate?
Lately, I've been spotting Indian style pasta all over social media and it take me right back to childhood weekends at my auntie's house! She would serve up bowls of spicy Indian pasta made with desi masala.
Long before fusion food was trendy, East African Indians like my family were already mixing it up. In the late 60s and 70s, they worked with what they had to make western staples with trusty Indian spices.
In a way, you could say they were the OG influencers ... just without the instagram!
So I can quite easily say that today's recipe is inspired by them and ofc, the trending vodka pasta!
Another fusion dish that's quick to make are my tandoori fries and these street food style masala maggi noodles.
Recipe Details & Ingredients Notes
The vegetarian sauce is easily made with garlic, onions, tomato paste, cream and spices. I like a good helping of cheese to make the sauce extra creamy and rich. It really complements the spices.
The secret ingredient for the silky sauce - lots of pasta water!
Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.
Pasta - I've used macaroni this time but pretty much all other shapes work. The only ones to avoid are small shapes like orzo.
Garlic and onions - finely chopped to form the base of the sauce.
Tomato puree - I like using tomato puree (the stuff you find in tubes) as it doesn't require much cooking - just squeeze from the tube directly into the pan, mix, and move onto the next step. If you don't have it, you can use passata and cook it down for a minute or so.
Spices - I've gone for Kashmiri chilli powder, curry powder and red chilli flakes. Curry powder is easy to find and combines common Indian spices in one. I use my homemade mild curry powder but if you don't have it, use ground cumin coriander powder and garam masala instead. Kashmiri chilli powder provides colour without heat. Adjust the spices to your liking.
Cream - any pourable fresh cream works. I've used double cream here (heavy cream in the US) but single cream is just as fine.
Cheese - I've gone for good old cheddar as it's the most common cheese I keep in the fridge. You can sub in parmesan / hard cheese (check its vegetarian if that's a diet you follow)! Soft cheeses work pretty well too but they will thicken the sauce considerably.
Pasta water - reserve a good ladle of this. The starch helps the sauce to cling to the pasta whilst preventing it from clumping.
Optional - coriander for garnishing. Parsley works too!
Serving Ideas
I'll be honest, this masala pasta tastes good enough to eat directly from the pan. I speak from experience ...
But, to make a meal of it, there's definitely some dishes you can add.
Try this Indian style mushroom focaccia - pillowy focaccia is topped with do pyaaz mushrooms
Top salad leaves with Indian salad dressing.
Finish with gelatin free mango panna cotta.
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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📖 Recipe
Masala Pasta (Indian Style Pasta)
Ingredients
- 250 gram pasta (uncooked)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 100 gram tomato puree
- 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon curry powder see substitutes in the post
- 1 teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder
- ¼ cup cream
- ¼ cup cheddar cheese
- salt to taste
- coriander optional for garnishing
Instructions
- Boil pasta according to packet instructions. Drain and reserve some of the pasta water.
- Heat oil in a pan and add the garlic. Sauté for a few seconds then tip in the onions. Cook until the onions have softened.
- Add the tomato puree and stir. Add the spices - chilli flakes, kashmiri chilli powder and curry powder. Season with salt. Pour over some pasta water to prevent the spices burning.
- Pour over the cream, mix to combine and stir through the pasta. Toss to combine and add more pasta water to loosen.
- Add the cheese and mix. Garnish with coriander if using and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
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Hayley Dhanecha says
I keep coming back to this recipe because it's quick, flavourful and a great way to turn everyday ingredients into something everyone enjoys.