Mum’s Buitoni/ Masala Pasta

EVENT: SUNDAY FUNDAY

THEME: CHILDHOOD FAVORITES

RECIPE: MUM’S BUITONI/ MASALA PASTA

My mum didn’t know how to make pasta at all. She probably had never heard of pasta, spaghetti, etc when she was growing up in the village of Koyali near Vadodara, India. But how she managed to make this pasta dish for us still baffles me. I remember reading the instructions for cooking the pasta for her but the rest she did on her own. There is nothing Italian about this dish yet it is the yummiest pasta I’ve ever had.

Saturday Night Treat

My mum would make this dish for my brother, sister and me on most Saturdays. Come to think of it, it was probably her way of treating us to something special. Every Saturday my dad and she would go to watch an Indian movie and we would be left at home with our grandmother. There is no name for this dish so I take the liberty of naming it mum’s buitoni. Buitoni because at that time that was the only brand of pasta we could buy from Uchumi our local supermarket. And besides spaghetti the only pasta available was ditali. Back then didn’t even know it was called that. We just thought it’s called Buitoni.

Childhood Favorite

My mum would always say ‘ Tonight, I am making buitoni for you’. And you should have seen the joy on our faces. After my mum and dad would leave, we would leisurely eat the pasta and make a mess too. Each macaroni would become a ring for our little fingers. Each ring was eaten with laughter and giggles. When the rings were finished from our bowl, we would hold the bowl with our two hands and sip on the soupy sauce. Now those rings don’t even fit our stubby fingers. But whenever we siblings get together, we have to make Mum’s Buitoni and at the same time complain that no one can make it like mum use to. But enjoy we do 🙂

Mum’s Buitoni  becomes my cousins’ favorite too

When she went to London, Mum’s Buitoni became a favorite with my cousins too. All have tasted her dish and asked for more umpteen of times. The only person who now makes this recipe is my sister and me. However, it  doesn’t taste like mum’s.The main ingredient missing is her love and we miss her so dearly. 

Undoubtedly, this special dish cooked for us every Saturday has to be most favorite amongst the other dishes that mum prepared. Special, as it was prepared just for my siblings and me back then.

Here are some of the Sunday Funday members’ childhood favorite dishes:

• Chili Mac from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Ham and Mushroom Breakfast Burritos from Making Miracles
• Homemade Lorna Doone Cookies from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Homemade Wonder Bread from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• K-Mart Sub Sandwiches from Palatable Pastime
• Kempakki Dosa from Sizzling Tastebuds
• Meat Chilly Fry by Sneha’s Recipe
• Meatballs with Mushroom Gravy from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• Mum’s Buitoni from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Scratch Spaghetti Os with Meatballs from Food Lust People Love

Ingredients Required For Mum’s Buitoni/ Masala Pasta:

• Pasta – ditali, macaroni.
• Onion – peeled and chopped finely. Use any onion of your choice.
• Tomato Puree – fresh or canned
• Garlic – peeled and minced
• Ginger – peeled and grated or minced
• Green Chilli – paste
• Turmeric Powder – hardar, haldi.
• Red Chilli Powder – laal mirch. Use according to your taste.
• Coriander Powder – dhania powder
• Water – for boiling the pasta
• Salt – add according to your taste
• Oil – use any of your choice. I used sunflower oil.
• Mustard Seeds – rai.
• Cumin Seeds – jeera, jiru.
• Fresh Coriander – for garnishing

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MUM'S BUITONI/ MASALA PASTA

mayurisjikoni

Mum's Buitoni/ Masala Pasta is a pasta with an Indian twist. It has all the spices that would go into any typical daily curry. Mum's Buitoni/ Masala Pasta is not only tasty but also never fails to bring back fond memories of my childhood and my mum.

5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Main Meal

Cuisine Indian

Servings 2

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup macaroni/ditali
• 4 cups water
• 1 tsp salt

FOR THE SAUCE/CURRY:

• ½ cup onion finely chopped
• 1 cup fresh tomato puree
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• ½ tsp chilli paste
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• ¼ tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp sugar optional
• 1½ tsp salt
• 2-3 tbsp fresh coriander chopped

Instructions

 

BOIL THE PASTA:

• Boil 4 cups of water in a pan. When its boiling, add the macaroni,  1 tsp salt and oil. Cook till it is just done. Usually the cooking time is indicated on the packet. Mine took about 8 minutes.
• Drain the pasta into a colander or sieve. Save the water in which you boiled the pasta.

PREPARE THE SAUCE/ CURRY BASE:

• To prepare the sauce, heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.
• When it becomes hot, add mustard and cumin seeds. When the seeds sizzle, add the chopped onion.
• Stir fry the onion till it is  light pink in colour. Add the garlic, chilli and ginger paste. Stir fry for a few seconds.
• Add the turmeric, chilli and coriander cumin powder. Mix.
• Add the tomato puree, salt and sugar. Let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat.
• Add the macaroni including about 1 cup of the water in which the macaroni was boiled.
• Simmer the pasta for 5 minutes over low heat.
• Garnish with chopped coriander.
• Serve piping hot on its own or with bread.

Notes

• If you use canned tomatoes then you may have to increase the amount of sugar.
• It tastes pretty good even the next day if you don't mind eating soft pasta.
• Add the pasta just before you are ready to serve it.
• Add more water for a more soupy base.
• Be careful when you add salt to the sauce as later you will be adding the salty water in which the pasta is boiled.
• Adjust the spices according to your taste.

Keyword masala pasta, mum's buitoni

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