Taran Singh: Jiu Jitsu Pasta

Taran Singh shares his pasta recipe while waiting to pick up his son from a martial arts class.

Every Tuesday, after picking up my 12-year-old son from middle school, I drop him off at the jiu-jitsu dojo, near our house. I get home and quickly get to my pasta ritual, which I proudly call jiu-jitsu pasta. The black belt here is to make a delicious meal that my son will approve of.

The shape of the pasta I choose can vary from the euphoric butterfly to the reflective shell or the twisted rainbow.

I then fill the tea kettle to the max line. While the kettle does its job, I comb through my rejuvenating garden.

Clipping plenty of greens and oregano. I rinse my stash, find a pan and switch the stove on.

I put the pan on the stove, add olive oil and arrange all the ingredients: pine nuts, garlic cloves, mushrooms, zucchini and greens. While the oil is warming, the pine nuts transport me to my childhood home in the Himalayas. We would get them as a delicacy from the pine forests in late fall.

As the pine nuts toast, I cut garlic slices, clove flushed between my fingers and a serrated knife, working precisely; the pieces fly directly in the pan. I learned this technique by observing my mother cook for us.

I add the rest of the greens and let them simmer for a couple of minutes, and then the pasta is mainly done. I add the pasta to the signature blend and stir it well. The simple act of cooking brings me immense joy and a sense of grounding. And with that, dinner is ready in time for me to pick up my son. With a Perspective, I’m Taran Singh.

Taran Singh is a Newark resident, a poetic storyteller, a podcast host and a business leader.