Wishing you all Very Happy and Healthy New Year! one of my resolution this year is to blog post frequently. when you have strong passion, you have to do it. My passion for clicking , recipe hunting is on as usual. hope i will improve.


Pasta is loved at home. i prepare tomato pasta quite often. when i spotted basil in a grocery store, i knew i will be preparing this tomato and basil pasta. once i prepared with Indian basil and loved it. now the Thai basil(can i call it that way?) is also tried.


cook the pasta as per packet instructions, what i do is, i measure paste in my 100 grams cup and add 1 litre water per 100grams. i usually microwave in very high power for 15 mins. while making on gas stove, i boil the water first and then add pasta and let it boil for 15 mins. once the pasta in done, drain it completely.


Ingredients:

Pasta - 200 grams
Red Tomato sauce - 4 tbsp
Black olives - 2 tsp
Basil leaves -few to garnish

Ingredients for Red Tomato and Basil Sauce / Marinara sauce:

Tomatoes - 4
Onion - 1 of medium size (finely chopped)
Garlic - 4 cloves (finely chopped)
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Red chili flakes - 1 tsp
Tomato Ketchup - 1 tsp
Basil Leaves - 5 / dried basil leaves - 1 tsp
Oregano - 1 tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder/ paprika  - 1 tsp
Red Wine - a splash / 2 tsp's (optional)

Method:

Heat the pan, add olive oil, finely chopped garlic and saute it. then add onion and saute till it turns translucent. now add finely chopped tomatoes and saute till it is mixed with onions. this takes at least 3 to minutes. if i have to say in Indian way, saute till it resembles tomato thokku.

Add salt, kashmiri chilli powder, chili flakes, basil, oregano and ketchup to the pan one by one and give a good mix, till it all comes together like a sauce. add little water if it sticks to the pan. allow the sauce to sit in pan in medium flame for about 10 minutes. finally add red wine and remove from the flame.

Now mix the red sauce with pasta, add olives,basil leaves & mix. This red pasta goes well with Red wine.


If you love pepper taste, reduce the chilli powder and add freshly crushed black pepper. i served with chilli flakes as we prefer our pasta little spicy.

If you are serving for kids or to a cheese lover, grate some mozzarella cheese over the pasta, grill for 2 minutes and serve warm.

 Pasta's are ordered often when we visit Pizza shops. I love the Olive oil flavour and the crisp veggies on the pasta's. Once i started to make Pasta's, i never ordered on pizza outlets. its such easy to make and we can add the choice of vegetables and customise it very much.

Cheesy White Pasta



Cheesy White Pasta


Cheesy White Pasta

Prep Time05 mins 
Cooking Time: 20 mins  
Serves2
Recipe CuisineContinental
Recipe TypePasta

Ingredients:

Penne Pasta - 1 Cup
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1
Green Capsicum - 1/2
Chopped Olives - 2 tbsp's
Mozarella Cheese - little to top up, while baking.(optional)

For White Sauce:

1/4 tsp of Butter
1 cup Milk
1 tsp Maida / all purpose flour
Cheese 1 cube
Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp
salt a pinch


Cheesy Penne Pasta

Method:

Boil a cup of Penne Pasta iin 3 cups of water for about 12 minutes.
Drain the boiled pasta and keep aside.

Heat a Pan, heat 1 tbsp of Olive oil on it. add chopped Onions and Capsicums and saute them for half a minute. remember not to over cook them. add chopped olives to the pan give a mix. add little salt to taste.
Olives may have salt, so add very little salt.

Add the boiled Penne Pasta's to the pan and give a toss. so that the veggies and pasta's mix together. switch off the flame and turn them into a bowl.

For White Sauce:

Heat a Sauce Pan, add little butter and let it melt, now add the flour and fry it well. add boiled and cooled milk to the sauce pan and mix well. remember to turn the flame to medium here. Add a cube of processed cheese(grated) to the sauce pan.

Keep stirring the milk with the flour, till the mix, gets little thicker, like sauce and the cheese should have melted. add little salt and pepper to taste and remove from the flame.

Now Mix the White Sauce and the Penne pasta and mix well.

Baking: (You can Grill in microwave or broil it in your oven)

Transfer the Pasta mixed with white sauce to a baking bowl. add mozarella cheese over the top and broil or grill for about 5 -7 minutes, till the cheese had melted and the top had turn into golden colour.

Serve the Pasta Warm.

Cheese Pasta

Choice of Vegetables that can be added:

Different colors of Capsicums
Mushrooms
Sweet Corns

One Day night, hubby complained, not to bore him with usual idli, dosa or kanji's for break-fast. so i planned this Pasta Breakfast for him, the next day. soaked some chickpeas, before going to bed. next day, it was breeze to prepare this breakfast. If you are wondering about the pasta's in the pic, those are the one's that i bought at Spencer's store for rs.12.


Pasta with Egg

First Boil the 1/4 cup of Pasta in a cup of water for 5 to 7 mins. and drain them. wash them with clean water and drain them again.
Cook the soaked chickpeas in pressure cooker with little salt.
Chop 3 broccoli florets ann keep aside.
Chop a Tomato.
Heat a Pan, add a tbsp of oil.
Drop the chopped tomatoes to the Pan and saute it well. add salt and Pepper powder to taste.
Add Broccoli and Cooked Chickpeas and saute along with the Tomatoes in the pan.
Add Cooked Pasta to the Pan and mix well.
Break a egg on heated Tava, sprinkle little salt and pepper powder over the egg and leave it for half a minute and transfer to the Pasta Bowl.

Serve Hot!!

Pasta with Chickpeas and Broccoli

If you want to know, If i tried different breakfast's then, No it was usual Cornflakes, Koozh and ofcourse easy idli's.

This Tomato Pasta used to be our Brunch on weekends. It can be done quick and its tastes Great, what more needed for a brunch? This is Indian version, as lots of chilli powder is added. I prefer adding Kashmiri chilli powder, as i love the wonderfull colour of it. While serving, i grate some processed cheese over the pasta, so that it little balances the spice. If you are not willing to serve your paste with cheese, then reduce the chilli powder.

Tomato Pasta Indian Recipe

Ingredients:

1. Pasta - 1 cup ( i used savorit shell shaped pasta)
2. Tomatoes - 6 (finely chopped)
3. Oil - 4 tbsp's
4. Garlic - 3 (finely chopped)
5. Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 2 tbsp's
6. Salt to taste
7. Turmeric powder - a pinch

Method:

In a Wide Bottomed Pressure Cooker, Heat the oil, add the garlic and roast it.

Add the finely chopped Tomatoes and saute them in oil for 1 minute.

Now add Salt, Turmeric Powder a pinch and chilli powder. mix well with the tomatoes.

Lower the flame and let the tomato absorb the spice. when the tomato mix, starts to emit oil, add the pasta and 2 cups of water.

Pressure Cook the pasta upto 4 whistles. Remove the cooker from the stove and let the pressure get released and open the cooker. stir well. If the pasta is still watery, heat it up again and cook untill the water is absorbed.

If less water is added, pasta may not be cooked soft and the pasta at the bottom of the pressure cooker may get burned.

Serve with Grated Processed Cheese on top.

* I also add Peas to the pasta, it also tastes good.

We had our friends from france for lunch on last week-end, me and my hubby were confusing each other on planning the menu for them. We wanted to show off our Tamil lunch also. Somehow we both planned the Menu with, * Badam Kheer, * Vadai, * Appalam, * Baked Pasta with Cabbage & Egg Salad, * Tomato Rice, * Curd Rice, * Chapathi, * Tomato Dal and * Chocolate Cake.

Baked Pasta with White Sauce

I prepared every food except chocolate cake, Yes, I didn't have any for dessert and finally managed with Apples. They enjoyed the Baked Pasta very much. The Vada's and Badam Kheer was also liked. the other all items were failure one's, as they felt everything spicy. I was glad that i made the pasta, credits goes to my hubby for choosing it on the menu.



Baked Pasta with White Sauce Recipe

Prep Time15 mins 
Cooking Time: 25 mins  
Serves2
Recipe CuisineContinental
Recipe TypeMaincourse

Ingredients:



Pasta - 20 nos.
Water - 2 cup's
Salt - 1 tsp



Tri - Colour Pasta

I bought Tri-Colour Pasta, took some 20 pasta in no's.
Boiled 2 cup's of water with a tsp of salt.
Added the Pasta to the Boiling water and cooked it for about 10 minute's.
I Drained the Pasta and kept it aside.

While the Pasta was getting Cooked, I Prepared the White Sauce.

White Sauce / Be'chamel Sauce :

Butter - 1 tbsp
All Purpose Flour / Maida - 1 tbsp
Milk - 1 and half cup
Fresh Cream - 2 tbsp's
Salt - a pinch

White Sauce

Heated a Pan, then i added a tbsp of butter and let it to melt on low flame.

After the Butter got melted, i added a tbsp of all purpose flour and mixed with butter with a whisk. Don't let lump's get formed.

The flour started to change its colour to golden yellow. (Just wait till the flour starts changing its colour). Add Milk and stirr well in the low flame.

Do not allow any lumps to be formed. Keep stirring for about 2 minute's or till the sauce get's thicker, if it's too thick add some more milk and let it get thick a bit. The consistency is, it should be able to coat the spoon and little thin.

Switch of the flame. Add the Fresh Cream and Salt. Stir well and keep it aside.

How to Bake?

Processed Cheese - 3 tbsp's Grated
Mozarella Cheese - 2 tbsp's Grated
Oregano - few sprinkled on top
Pepper Powder - a pinch

Pasta with Cheese before baking

Pre-Heat the oven for about 10 minutes. While the oven get's heated, Place the cooked pasta in a glass baking bowl, add the white sauce on top and mix well. add some grated Processed Cheese and Mozarella Cheese on top.

If desired, add Oregano and Pepper Powder on top.

Place the Pasta bowl in the oven and Bake it on 180C / 350F for about 20 minute's.

Pasta Au Gratin (After Baking)

The Cheese on top should have melted and should have turned golden in colour.

Serving Suggestion:

Pasta with Egg's, Tomatoes & Potato.

Serve it with some Cabbage Salad and Boiled Egg's and Tomatoe's. I also served with boiled potatoe's.

Baked Pasta with Cheese

We all Loved this Creamy, Cheesy Pasta. I learned that this is also called as au gratin, as it is cooked till it gets golden colour top. It can be called as Baked Pasta / Pasta au gratin.


Tip at the End:

If you want to substitute the pasta, go for some spaghetti or some vegetables like corn's, broccoli, bell pepper's and mushroom's. Iam sure this would be a great dish to please your guest's.