Easy Vegetable Pasta in White Sauce

If you have never made a pasta dish before, you can give this recipe a try. There are 4 steps involved:

1. Boil pasta
2. Roast vegetables
3. Prepare white sauce
4. Combine all three.

If you don't want to prepare sauce at home you can use any store-bought pasta sauce. If you don't have time to roast lots of vegetables you can add just one or two. Also, if you don't mind a dry-ish pasta made rich by the flavours of roasted vegetables, you can skip the sauce (just don't call it pasta in white sauce). You have so many options. So get going!

Ingredients :
12 oz  (340g) pasta
Salt
Oil

To roast :
Oil
Salt
4 to 5 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp red chilli flakes

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

Vegetables of your choice. I used -

2 carrots
2 zucchini
1 chinese eggplant
1/2 red capsicum
6 to 8 broccoli florets
1 handful spinach
8oz (226g) mushrooms
1/2 cup boiled / frozen corn

For the white sauce : 
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all purpose flour / maida
1 1/2 cup cold milk
1 cheese slice or some grated mozarella
Salt
1 pinch nutmeg (optional)
[ I don't like too much of white sauce in my pasta, but if you do, increase the measures].

Method :
Boil pasta according to package instructions - Boil water, add some salt and olive oil, pour pasta and cook till pasta is done (about 10 minutes). Drain. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining.

Chop vegetables. In a large deep-bottomed pan, heat oil. Add chopped garlic and sauté till you get an aroma. Add chopped vegetables starting with carrots and roast on medium flame. Cover and cook till vegetables become tender, stirring a few times in between. To this add red chilly flakes, ground black pepper and any other seasoning of your choice. Add salt to taste and mix well.

Prepare white sauce. For this, in a medium deep-bottomed pan, with the flame on medium-low, heat butter. When butter melts, add flour / maida. Stir for a few seconds till butter and flour combine and the mixture slightly changes colour. Add 1/2 cup milk and with a manual whisk or a large spoon, whisk fast and continuously. The milk will boil, bubbles will appear and the sauce will thicken. Add rest of the milk and keep whisking. It will take a few minutes, but keep whisking till the sauce thickens. It will totally take about 7 to 8 mts. [Check the picture below for thickness. If your sauce isn't thick enough it will not taste good - it's almost like adding plain milk to yr pasta. Ugh!]

Add cheese slice or grated mozarella and whisk. If you love cheese go ahead and add lots more. I added just 1 cheese slice since the white sauce itself looks and tastes cheesy (cheesy?). Add the water reserved while draining pasta and bring to a light boil. Add 1/4 tsp salt, 1 pinch nutmeg and mix.

Now comes the fun part, combining all three. You can either mix them in the large pan in which you roasted the veggies, or you can layer them on your plate - spread pasta, arrange roasted vegetables and pour sauce all over.

I prefer to mix them all in the pan, since I have a few other things to do than sit and arrange things over my plate - like stopping my son from climbing on the dining table.

If you love the sight of your pasta drowning in white sauce then increase the portion of white sauce and cheese and treat yourself to a mouthwatering dish!

Mint - Spinach Pesto Pasta

This is one of those pasta dishes that you can prepare when you don't have much time in the kitchen, yet are not comfortable with using store bought sauces. Pesto is like our chutney - just put the ingredients in the grinder and half your job is done. (Strictly speaking, however, pesto is prepared using a mortar and pestle).

I chose mint and spinach because they were both sitting in my fridge and I wanted to use them up. Last week I got this H-U-G-E (if you've seen it you'll know what I mean) packet  of spinach from Costco (what was I thinking), because spinach is good for health and I've been using it in many of my dishes (hoping husband dear doesn't get fed up of it).  I also added mushrooms and peas for some extra taste and fiber.

Ingredients:
13.25 oz (375g) pasta [ I used multigrain Penne Rigate]
5 to 6 garlic cloves
8oz ( 227g) mushrooms
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1/2 to 3/4 tsp black pepper powder
Oil
Salt

To grind:
3/4 cup fresh mint (pudina) leaves
1 1/2 cup packed spinach
1/3 cup almonds, pine nuts or macadamia
1 or 2 cheese slices
3 tbsp oil

Method:

Cook pasta according to package instructions - Bring water to boil, add some salt and oil, pour pasta into it and cook.

Meanwhile grind spinach, mint, nuts [ I used macademia because there was a brand new box of roasted, salted macadamia in my pantry, again from Costco. You could use almonds or pine nuts and lightly toast them before adding]. Add cheese. I used a couple of Kraft Singles cheese slices but you could use mozzarella or whichever you have. Grind to form a smooth [or if you wish, coarse] paste.

Drain the pasta. Reserve 1/2 cup of water.

In a deep bottomed pan, heat 1 tbsp oil. Roast chopped garlic. Add chopped mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes. Add green peas. To this add the ground paste and reserved pasta water. Bring to a light boil. Pour in cooked pasta and mix throughly. Sprinkle pepper. Add salt to taste and mix well.

My son laps it up calling it green pasta. When he grows up he'll know.

This goes to Presto Pasta Night, started by Ruth.

Lemony Linguine with Creamy Mascarpone

Ah.... I think I like the name more than the dish - lemony linguine with creamy mascarpone - makes me want to keep saying it all the time!

When I saw a packet of whole grain linguine in the store, the first thought that came to my mind was lemony linguine. And when I saw this recipe in Chefinyou, which also added mascarpone, the name lemony linguine with creamy mascarpone rang so hard in my head that I had to give it top priority, slyly ignoring all the other bookmarked recipes which I wonder if I'll ever make.

So it was decided. I would make lemony linguine with creamy mascarpone because -
a) I wanted to try lemon zest in my pasta. b) I wanted to use mascarpone cheese in my pasta. c) I wanted to use linguine in my cooking.  d) I like the sound of lemony linguine with creamy mascarpone.

Did I also say I like the sound of lemony linguine with creamy mascarpone? Come on, admit it, you like it too.

Before I move on, let me admit that I did not exactly become a fan of the dish the first time I had it. That was probably because I was having a citrusy pasta for the first time. But when I had it the next day, I liked it a lot more; my taste buds had gotten used to the lemony taste by then, looks like.

I used the whole packet of linguine, which comes to more than three times the linguine used in the original recipe (which is a lot, btw). However, since I was using the juice and zest of lemon for the first time in a pasta dish, I increased it by just a few tsps. I also added some spice to it. More importantly, I changed the name of the dish slightly to lemony linguine with creamy mascarpone. Check the original recipe here.

Ingredients: 
1 packet linguine (13 oz, 375 g)
3 carrots, chopped
2 cups frozen green peas, thawed
zest of 1 and 1/2 lemon
juice of 1 and 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1 tbsp oil (optional)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
Salt
Chopped parsley (I used coriander leaves)


(Note: Zest the lemon first and then juice it. Also, remove only the thin outer skin and not the bitter white pith. If you are using lime, you may have to increase the quantity).

Method :
I followed this tip from the original recipe. When you keep the water to boil the pasta, place a steamer basket on top with the chopped vegetables in it. That way they get steamed in one shot. Alternatively you can either cook them separately with water or roast them in oil.

Boil the pasta in salted boiling water as per package instructions.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl/ pan, pour the lemon juice, zest and mascarpone, and mix well with a manual whisk. Add oil or water to thicken the sauce, beating well with the whisk. [I used a pan and also brought the sauce to a slight boil].

Add the vegetables and mix well. Add salt, garlic powder and pepper powder. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce, tossing well till the pasta and the veggies are coated with sauce. Top with more cheese if you want a creamier linguine. Add more lemon juice if you prefer a more lemony linguine. I did not, because I wasn't sure if my husband would like too much of the citrus flavour. Add more salt if needed. Garnish with parsley.

Relish the lemony linguine with creamy mascarpone.

Sending this to bookmarked recipes and Presto Pasta Night started by Ruth.

Veggie-Cheese Kiddie Pasta

I love pasta and so do the two boys (viz. hubby and son). Everytime I go to the pasta aisle, I invariably spend a great deal of time trying to figure out which pasta to choose, from the large variety of shapes, sizes and nutritional content. On one such confused shopping venture, I happened to see a box of fun-shaped pasta. I had been looking for this at Trader Joe's - specially the ABC pastas, since my son has started recognizing some letters now. Unfortunately, Trader Joe's didn't have them. So I was happy to see this particular pasta box with butterflies in Safeway and picked it up. I couldn't wait to make the 'beefaay's and see the look on my son's face!

Only after coming home did i realize that along with butterflies the box also had some other bug shapes (uh-oh). Luckily my son recognizes just the butterflies and wouldn't think much of the others.

I put together a couple of veggies and some cheese to make the sauce. Well, I cannot actually call it a sauce, but I like it this way, since it would be great to pack it in his lunch-box when we go to the park or someplace where I can quickly feed him without worrying about the sauce dribbling all over.

This is a quick and simple recipe. You could  make your own variations and add more ingredients.

Ingredients:
1 large carrot
1 zucchini
any other favorite vegetable
2 cups fun-shaped pasta (or any pasta)
1 tbsp butter
2 cheese slices (cheddar)
1 pinch black pepper
1 pinch garlic powder
Salt

Method:
Peel carrot and zucchini. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water, as per package instructions.

Meanwhile, in a large pan, melt butter and add chopped carrots. While they are roasting, chop zucchini and add. Saute for a few minutes. Add 1 cup water (I used the water used to boil pasta). Cook for a few minutes till the veggies are completely cooked. Add cheese.

Drain the pasta.

Add the pasta to the sauce. Toss in salt, pepper and garlic powder according to the spice level your child can handle.
Mix well and heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

My son was thrilled to see the butterflies. The pasta lasted him for a couple of meals. And I couldn't resist a bowl myself!
Sending this simple kiddie dish to this week's Presto Pasta Night, originally started by Ruth. Also sending this to Kids Lunch Box Treats.

Lasagna with Ricotta and Roasted Vegetable Sauce

            

Lasagna is a beautiful Italian pasta dish. Crunchy vegetarian lasagna is one of my most favorite meals. I never found a good vegetarian lasagna with lots of vegetables in any restaurant I went to. I do eat meat, but it was the different crunchy vegetables that I craved for in my lasagna. That's when I decided to make it at home.

I had no clue how to make lasagna. I watched some videos on youtube, kind of understood the concept and decided to go ahead with it. Initially, I used the sauce I usually make for pasta. My friend Shraddha had given me a simple recipe for an easy sauce with just onion, garlic, tomatoes - roast and blend all of these and add Italian seasoning. To this I would add roasted vegetables - all my favourite ones. Recently I also blended some roasted vegetables and liked the outcome. So now I use this technique to make the sauce, which adds a lot of flavour to the sauce. This is definitely time consuming but very nutritious, so I always prefer it to store bought sauce.

Usually when I make lasagna, I use only this sauce since I try to avoid white sauce (with maida) and ricotta cheese sauce (since it takes in loads of cheese). But when I make this for a potluck or for guests at home, I do make use of the ricotta sauce as well, to add another dimension to the layered treat.

Before I get onto the recipe (and it's about time I did!), let me also tell you that I used 'No boil' lasagne for this dish. You could go ahead and use the regular lasagne and boil them as per package instructions. Also, there is no rule to what sauce you use for this dish, so you can toy with different ingredients to see what you like best, or just use store bought sauce if you want to save time.

Ingredients :
9 lasagna sheets
sauce1
sauce2
mozarella cheese (as preferred)

Sauce1
Ingredients :
4 onions
4 tomatoes
5 to 6 garlic flakes
3 carrots
3 zucchini
2 yellow squash
2 green red or yellow bell peppers
1 8oz packet mushrooms
1 cup boiled corn
any other vegetable of your choice
2 tsp of herbs like basil, oregano, rosemary or thyme
1 tsp red chilli flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional)
salt
Oil

Method :
Heat oil. Saute garlic and onions till they are slighlty brownish. Saute tomatoes till they get cooked. Finely chop rest of the vegetables, add them to the pan and roast them till they are completely cooked. Allow to cool. Take half of these vegetables and blend them into a smooth paste with a little water. Transfer the paste back into the pan and mix well. Add corn and half a cup of water and cook for a few minutes. Add salt, herbs and the chilli flakes. You can use dried herbs as well. Add garlic powder for an extra kick of garlic. You could even sneak in some healthy ground flax seeds and no one will notice!

Sauce 2
This recipe is from the package of 'Barilla' Lasagne. This contains eggs and lots of ricotta (ah, the creamy paneer!), mozarella and parmesan cheese. I omitted the mozarella and parmesan, since I would anyway be topping the lasagna with mozarella just before baking. If you don't prefer eggs, you can omit them in the sauce or even omit the sauce altogether and use only sauce1 in your lasagna. Just make sure you increase the quantity of sauce1 so that you don't run out of it.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 container ricotta cheese (15 oz)
2 cups mozarella
1/2 cup parmesan

Method :
In a medium bowl, beat eggs. Stir in the ricotta cheese, mozarella and parmesan. You could even add frozen thawed spinach.

Assembling:

Take a 9 X 13 inch oven safe pan. Spread a little of sauce 1.

Place 3 lasagna sheets.

Apply a thin layer of sauce 2. You can sprinkle some parmesan and mozarella here.

 Keep layering till you use up all the sheets and all the sauce making sure the sauce layer comes on top. Spread mozarella cheese all over the top.

Cover tightly  with an aluminium foil and bake in a preheated oven at 375ºF for 50 to 60 mts (for the 'no boil' lasagna). When you peek into the oven you should see the sauces bubbling up. Uncover and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes until the cheese on top melts and the lasagna looks golden brown.

Allow 15 minutes for the lasagna to soak in all the sauces before you feast on this bubbling goodness!

The luscious layers will join the Presto Pasta Night hosted this week by Nic, originally started by Ruth.

Also sending this to the weekly Bake Off event by Champa.