Of Wine and Spaghetti!

Discovery Travel and Living is one amazing channel that we get here. Travel; food; lifestyle...aka everything that is Man Made in nature!!

Talking about travel, it reminds me of our all time favorite show 'Globe Trekker'- Discovery Travel and Living ! Travelling all across the world, its like looking at the world and places that as common people, we cant afford to visit, through their eyes:))

Anyways, with lotsa cookery shows up there, all the authentic European dishes were made with some sort of wine! Hmm...so i wanted to try something too!!

Got spaghetti from the store, luckily for me my dear friend Anu, gifted us a bottle of red wine- Santa Ana-Argentina, while they were over for here for dinner! Thanks to you my dear, Fantastic wine it was!!

Now that we are leaving and the mood of partying and having fun till we leave has set in, farewells are in full swing!

So, it was one of our casual dinners with Dada[Shaumik] and us!

I was looking for recipes of Spaghetti, i found one online, but that was Non-veg and lots of other ingredients.

Hmm....now i didnt have the time to run to the grocery store..so had to manage with something at home! And Italian veggies...hard to find that stock at an Indian home!Running through my fridge i found Eggplant/Brinjal!That struck the 'good-to-go' chord!

My imagination did its rounds and I got into action!

A few parts from Jo Mama’s recipezaar and others from the same site!

Made my own palatal concoctions and here is my secret recipe for you!!

Ingredients-
Spaghetti- use only 300 gms for the below mentioned quantities. Cook according to the instructions on the packet.

Serves 4 people if this is the only dish that you are serving besides the wine!!

In veggies-

1. Capsicum/ Bell pepper - 1










2. Tomatoes- half a kilo- 500 gms










3. Onions- 2 [medium sized] sliced length wise










4. Egg plant/brinjal- 1 long one[ sliced in the pattern shown below]

4.Garlic cloves-2

[Optional are a lot of other veggies like Zucchini, Mushrooms, broccoli,shallots...and other suitably-Italian veggies]

For seasoning-

1. Parsley flakes- I used the dried parsley which I generally stock at home to use instead of coriander leaves as sometimes there is scarcity of it here.

2. Some herbs- Its a general Italian herb packet which I had at home.Ingredients were not mentioned on the packet so i am unable to provide with the details.

3. Chilli tomato sauce

4. Half an ounce of Good Red Wine!!

5. Some cheese-best is Parmesan,but if thats not available. I used cheddar cheese!

5. Olive oil for frying[I used Sunflower oil, which i don't think altered the taste, but if u have olive oil, then nothing like it:)]

Method-

• Take 2 deep bottom pans.




• In one cook the spaghetti and use the other one for preparing the sauce.




• It is the best to make it this way else one will become cold and the efforts will go in vain:)




• Grind the tomatoes with little water and salt,without water is a great choice!




• Heat oil in the other pan and add garlic, onions, capscicum. Once that is slightly cooked, add the egg plants.




• Cook the egg plant half and add the tomato sauce and the ground tomato.




• Let it cook for 5 mins, now add the seasoning. Remember the Wine!!




• Let the veggies cook and get the flavors!




• Now add salt and bring it to a semi-gravy level.




• Switch off the stove.

By now the spaghetti is also done!

Now dish out the spaghetti on the plate and add the curry/gravy/sauce above it as shown below.

Best when served hot!

Its time to Wine and Dine!!!

This is also my entry in to an event called "Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes Carnival" by Mansi of Fun and Food Cafe!

Love

Suj