ByIANSlife Features

November 16, 2019 (IANSlife) Italian food is one of the few global cuisines that Indians are truly obsessed with. Italian food regularly features on the dining tables of most urban Indian households, and more often than not, we fall back on pastas, pizzas and many more to satisfy our cravings for a good meal.

Here are some winter recipes from Del Monte to make your menu more interesting.

Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad with lemon sesame dressing

Ingredients:

• 250 grams penne pasta, 2 small size zucchini, thinly sliced, 5 baby corns, thinly sliced, 50 grams frozen peas, few basil leaves, 2 lemons, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, chili flakes (optional), salt pepper

Method:

• Squeeze lemon juice in a mason jar or a small bowl and add salt and pepper to taste.Then, add parmesan cheese along with sesame seeds and extra virgin olive oil. Give it a whisk and set it aside to be used later.
• Bring a big pot of water to boil and add 1 tablespoon salt to it. 
• While the water boils, heat a grill pan and drizzle some oil. Layer the sliced zucchini and baby corn. Allow it to cook for a couple of minutes in high heat and then ip it. If the pan is small, grill the veggies in batches.
• Once the water is boiled, drop the penne pasta and cook for 8 minutes or until it's cooked to al dente. At the last minute, drop the frozen peas and allow them to soften.
• Keep a serving bowl ready. Once the pasta is done, drain it along with the peas and put it in the bowl along with the grilled veggies. Pour the dressing and give it a toss. Scatter some basil leaves and shave some parmesan cheese on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Marinated Green Olives with Garlic & Rosemary

Ingredients:

• 150 grams Del Monte Pitted Green Olives (drained), 1.5 teaspoon Dried Rosemary, 1/2 tsp Lemon Zest, 4 Cloves Garlic (crushed), 1 pinch Kosher salt, 1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan and saute crushed garlic and rosemary.
• Add lemon zest and drained olives and saute till aromatic.
• Cool and transfer the olives in a large bowl.
• Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.
• Serve marinated olives as an appetizer in small bowls with toothpicks.

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Editing by Aditi Roy and N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe