K.I.S.S

KISS = Keep it simple! (not sure what the last S stands for LOL)

I learnt that through my amazing culinary experiences in Rome, Florence and Chianti. The food is simple, basic, and beyond delicious!

So if you are hunkering after a simple Italian vegetarian meal that is also quick to fix up, then here are a few tips/ideas:
1) Stock up on good pasta sauce - I usually make my own sauces, and dislike the ones at HEB or Central Market/Whole Foods. One of Vikram's cousins though put me on to Rao's. You can't find them at HEB, but Whole Foods carries them and so does Mandola's (Austin) in the the triangle (in the store part of it). This pasta sauce is truly simple and actually tasty. One other brand I've liked for my flat-bread pizzas (yes) is Central Market's "Organics" pasta sauces. Not too shabby...

2) Stock up on the pasta - I prefer penne and spaghetti to everything else. And I also prefer my reds to whites, as they are healthier! (I am talking of pasta sauces, not wines;) ) And I only buy wheat pastas - healthy and delish. I just realized thanks to a Top Chef Master's episode, you also get quinoa-based pasta at Whole Foods, if you really look (for those with gluten intolerance issues). Note to self - must try it sometime, but watchout for the lumpiness while boiling it.

3) Buy some fresh veggies and some marinated veggies (HEB has a medittarenean pickled veggies counter). Marinated veggies lend a great flavor to any pasta/pizza. I especially love artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes.

4) Pasta cooking dos and don'ts: Make pasta like you usually do, but be sure not to drown it in sauce. Basic pasta in Italy had just the right amount of sauce and some veggies. While cooking the pasta, don't cook it all the way through in boiling water.Cook it Al Dente. When the pasta is cooked al dente, there should be a slight resistance in the center when the pasta is chewed. To me, there was more than a "slight" resistence in all the pastas in Italy. That way, it soaks up and cooks in the sauce even as you are eating it. I find a lot of the pastas in the US are either too lumpy, overcooked and mushy, or drowning in sauce and you can almost taste the canned tomatoes!

5) Flat-bread pizza: And if you are craving a flat-bread pizza - buy some Naan from HEB, chop up bell peppers, tomatoes and some paneer and mix them. Layer the naan with Pasta sauce first (not the Boboli pizza sauce please!!) and add the veggies and paneer on top. I rarely like cheese on my pizzas, and the paneer is good enough dairy intake, if you choose to add it. Sometimes, I buy Le Vache Qui Rit Lite (cheese) and first spread it on the Naan, and then layer it with pasta sauce. If you are in the mood for "spicy" - shake a few generous helpings of chilli flakes. If you want to go the fusion-food route, then marinate the veggies and paneer mixture for 10 minutes in Indian masalas, such as paneer tikka masala. Gives it a spicy-hot flavor.


6) Salad: And finally, buy some good fresh Mozarella (I love Mandola's mozarella cheese as well as the Il Villagio brand you get in HEB), tomatoes and a pepper mill (if you don't have one). Chop the tomatoes and mozarella (either dices or in big round slices - per your preference), layer them/mingle them, grate some pepper on it and drizzle with EVOO for a great and simple salad. I tried a Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing I bought from HEB once but hated the final flavors. Try making your own at home, will be way better!