Bursts of Mediterranean flavour

One woman’s hair ornament is another’s herb… Here’s how marjoram, or maruvu as it is commonly known, can be incorporated in a simple pasta dish

This recipe can be cobbled up with locally available ingredients and yet yield a genuine Mediterranean flavour

My five-year-old daughter’s list of food preferences can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Pasta is one of her staple breakfast, lunch and dinner favourites. As a result, I seem to have a pretty handy guide in my head on the different pasta shapes, their names and their cooking times.

But as much as I love the delicate shapes for their quick cooking times, I prefer bigger pasta shapes for my own quick dinners. Pasta need not be thickly coated with garlicky sauces and cheese. In fact, the best dishes are those tossed lightly in olive oil with grilled or sautéed vegetables and flavoured with a single herb. Take your pick - basil, oregano, rosemary or marjoram to name a few.

South Indians may quite possibly be the world’s largest consumers of marjoram and yet be unaware of it. Turns out we’ve been wearing it in our braids instead of cooking with it. I’m referring to maruvu leaves, the fragrant green fronds woven into strands of jasmine. It’s related to oregano; however, it has a much softer floral aroma with hints of pine and citrus.

I like to set the pasta to boil while I prep the other ingredients for this dish. Today’s recipe can be cobbled up with locally available ingredients and yet yield a genuine Mediterranean flavour. All it takes is a short trip to the local flower vendor.

Pasta with sautéed Tomatoes, Shallots and Marjoram

You need

300 gm pasta (pick your preferred shape, as long as the cooking time is less than 10 minutes – penne, farfalle and linguine are good candidates)

2-3 tbsp olive or any flavour-free oil

1/2 – 3/4 cup diced

shallots or onion

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 clove garlic, smashed

Salt to taste

Crushed dried red chillies, as per taste

Leaves from 5 – 6 stalks of fresh marjoram

Method

- Heat about 2 litres of water in a large pot and bring it to boil. Add a generous pinch of salt to the boiling water and toss in the pasta. Make sure that you keep an eye on the time to avoid overcooking.

- Heat the oil in a skillet and add the single smashed clove of garlic. Once the garlic begins to give off its characteristic aroma, add the onions and sauté till they turn translucent.

At this point, add the marjoram and the diced tomatoes along with the seasoning. At this point, you can even fish out the garlic and discard it if you choose.

- Once the pasta is cooked, strain and add it to the skillet. Increase the heat to evaporate any extra moisture, and stir well to ensure that the ingredients are uniformly mixed. Transfer to a serving dish and serve warm.

Serving suggestions

You can sprinkle some crumbled paneer or add brined olives to the pasta just prior to serving if you like.

She has three Masters Degrees, has lived on three continents and is a full time mom to two kids. Nivedita Subramanian exults in culinary experiments, combining traditional techniques with foreign ingredients and vice versa. Follow her on >www.panfusine.com