Central to Italian cuisine, spaghetti is often served in tomato sauce along with toppings like basil, meat and vegetables. Master chef Sanjeev Kapoor brings more to your table!



SPAGHETTI WITH CHICKEN MINCE


Ingredients


Spaghetti - 100 grams
Chicken mince - 75 grams
Salt - to taste
Olive oil - 6 tablespoons
Onion, finely chopped - 1 medium
Garlic, chopped - 3-4 cloves
Red chillies, crushed - 1 teaspoon
Tomato concasse - ¾ cup
Tomato puree - ¼ cup
Black peppercorns, crushed - 7-8
Parsley, finely chopped - 3 tablespoons


Method


1. Boil spaghetti in a large vessel in three cups of salted water till al dente. Drain, mix it with one tablespoon of olive oil and spread on a plate to cool.
2. Heat the remaining olive oil in a pan, add onion sauté till it turns transparent. Add garlic and sauté till raw flavours disappear.
3. Add crushed red chillies and continue to sauté for half a minute. Add chicken mince and sauté till the chicken is nearly cooked. Add tomato concasse and cook till all the liquid has evaporated. Add in tomato puree and mix well.
4. Season with crushed black peppercorns and salt.
5. Arrange the spaghetti on a serving plate. Place the chicken sauce in the middle. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

SPAGHETTI WITH PINENUT PESTO CHICKEN



Ingredients


Spaghetti - 250 grams
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Salt - to taste
Fresh cream - ¼ cup
Black peppercorns, crushed - 1 teaspoon
Cheese, grated - ¼ cup
For chicken
Chicken mince - 1 cup
Onions, chopped - 1 medium
Garlic, chopped - 2-3 cloves
Oil - 1½ tablespoons
Tomato puree - 2 tablespoons
Red chillies, crushed - 1 teaspoon
Salt - to taste
Pesto sauce
Basil leaves - 10-12
Parsley - a few sprigs
Garlic - 5-6 cloves
Pine nuts - ¼ cup
Salt - to taste
Olive oil - 1 tablespoon


Method


1. Boil six cups of water in a large pan, add oil and salt and cook spaghetti until al dente. Drain and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add onions, one third of the garlic and sauté until light brown in colour. Add chicken mince and cook till mince is done.
3. Add tomato puree, crushed red chillies and sauté for a minute. Season with salt and remove from heat.
4. Blend together basil leaves, fresh parsley, remaining garlic, pine nuts, salt and one teaspoon of olive oil to form a smooth pesto sauce.
5. Preheat the oven to 200?C.
6. In another pan heat the remaining olive oil and add the pesto sauce and mix. Add boiled spaghetti and cream and mix again. Season with salt and crushed black peppercorns.
7. Put the chicken mince in a baking dish, top it with spaghetti and grated cheese.
8. Put in the preheated oven and gratinate till the cheese melts.
9. Serve immediately.


CHICKEN A LA KING


Ingredients


Chicken, boneless - 250 grams
Celery - 2 inch stalk
Thyme - ¼ teaspoon
Bay leavesm - 2
Cloves - 5
Salt - to taste
Butter - 3 tablespoons
Green capsicum, seeded and cubed - 1 medium
Red capsicum, seeded and cubed - 1 medium
Fresh button mushrooms, quartered - 4 medium
Garlic, finely chopped - 4 cloves
Refined flour (maida) - 3 tablespoons
Milk - 2 cups
Black peppercorns, freshly crushed - 3-4
Egg yolk - 1
Fresh cream - ¼ cup
Fresh parsley, chopped - 1 tablespoon


Method


1. Heat three cups of water in a pan. Add chicken pieces, celery, thyme, bay leaves, cloves and salt to taste. Cook till the chicken is nearly done. Drain chicken pieces and set stock aside.
2. Heat one tablespoon of butter in a pan, add green capsicum, red capsicum, mushrooms and garlic and sauté for two to three minutes. Set aside.
3. To make white sauce heat the remaining butter in another pan and add refined flour. Sauté till it gives off a nice aroma. Add milk gradually stirring continuously so that no lumps are formed. Once it comes to a boil, add the chicken stock and freshly crushed black peppercorns. Stir well.
4. Cut the chicken into medium sized pieces and add to the white sauce. Add the sautéed vegetables.
5. Whisk egg yolk and fresh cream well. Add it slowly to the chicken and vegetable mixture and mix lightly.
6. Serve hot garnished with parsley.

EGGS BENEDICT



Ingredients

Eggs - 4
Vinegar - 1 tablespoon
Salt - to taste
English muffins - 2
Butter - 2 tablespoons
For hollandaise sauce
Egg yolks - 4
Lemon juice - 2 tablespoons
Butter, clarified - ½ cup
Salt - to taste
Black peppercorns, crushed - 5-6
Fresh basil, hand torn - 6 leaves


Method


For hollandaise sauce


1. Break eggs and separate the yolks into a pan. Whisk them well.
2. Boil some water in a bigger pan. Add lemon juice, two tablespoons of water to the yolks and mix. Keep the pan with the yolks over the boiling water. Cook, stirring continuously, till thick and smooth.
3. Remove the pan from heat and add clarified butter, drop by drop, stirring continuously till about half the butter is used up. Then add the remaining butter, a little more at a time till all the butter is used up. Add salt and crushed pepper and mix. If the sauce becomes too thick, keep the pan in the double boiler again and whisk.
4. Tear two basil leaves and mix. Keep the sauce warm.


For benedict


1. Heat some water in a pan. When the water begins to boil, add vinegar and salt. Break the eggs, one by one, into a small bowl and then gently slide the egg into the boiling water. Gently fold the egg white over the yolk and cook till the yolk sets.
2. Remove the poached eggs with a perforated spoon onto a plate.
3. Take English muffins and slit into two horizontally. Apply butter to both the halves.
4. Place the muffin halves on a plate, place a poached egg over each half. Place a basil leaf over each egg. Spoon some hollandaise sauce over it.
5. Grill the muffins in a preheated oven for two minutes till the eggs are gratinated.
6. Serve hot.


Chef’s Tip: To clarify butter, simmer it on very low heat for 10 to 15 minutes and then strain it through double muslin, taking care that the milk solids do not get mixed. It is done to remove the water and the salt from butter.