Pasta in White Sauce | Sunday Brunch | Penne Pasta

Hi everybody! I am back with another post for “Cook Na Kaho”. A simple, easy and tasty recipe that requires very few ingredients and can be cooked when you are too tired to think of alternative recipes. An Italian dish that has crept into the Indian kitchen. Yes, you guessed that right. PASTA it is! I often make this for my Sunday Brunch, and it takes me less than 20 minutes in all to plate this dish from scratch.

For this particular recipe, I had skipped the vegetables. However you may add sautéed vegetables, as this would make it even more filling and healthier. Capsicum/Bell Peppers, Carrots, Mushrooms, Sweet Corn can be added to pasta. Shredded chicken sautéed in a little oil can also be a delicious variant to your non-vegetarian pasta. I had also tried it with sausages, and it tasted very nice. So without further delay, lets jump into the ingredients list.

Ingredients:

Pasta : Penne/Fusilli/Farfalle/Rigatoni (Anything that is available at the store) – Around one cup

Garlic : 3-5 pods, finely chopped

Processed Cheese : One cube, grated (I used Amul Cheese)

Milk : One and half cups

Refined flour: One tablespoon

Salt : As per taste

Oregano/Chilli Flakes/ Peri Peri Flakes : Half a teaspoon of each (You may adjust as per your taste)

Olive Oil : 1 tablespoon

Black pepper powder : Half a teaspoon

Procedure :

1. Boil the pasta in a gas stove/microwave. For this, add pasta to water and drizzle some olive oil over it. Add a pinch of salt. Let it boil for 13 minutes in the microwave. Once it is done, check if it is soft yet firm. Drain the water and keep aside.
2. In a frying pan, add some olive oil. Let it heat. Simmer the flame and add chopped garlic. After 5 seconds, add the refined flour, stir for another 10 seconds and then add the milk, little by little. Keep stirring till it comes into a nice saucy consistency. Make sure you keep stirring for another 2 minutes so that no lumps are formed.
3. Then add the spices. Salt goes in, followed by oregano/chilli flakes/peri peri flakes. You may also add mixed herbs/Italian flavoring/seasoning agents as per your taste. Continue stirring. Add the black pepper powder next.
4. Once the sauce has thickened, add the boiled pasta. Mix well.
5. Time to add the grated cheese. Shut the flame immediately. And, your pasta is ready! Serve hot with buttered toasts or garlic bread.

Authors Note:

Here are a few very important tips that I always keep in my mind whenever I prepare Pasta.

1. Choose a pasta that is made out of Durum Wheat as a healthier alternative. I know “healthy” and “pasta” are like complete oxymoron, but then to make it lesser unhealthy is what we should look forward to!
2. You may boil the pasta the night before, drain the water and refrigerate it. Prepare the sauce the next day, and add the boiled pasta to it for your hurried morning breakfast.
3. Boil the pasta, but do not over-boil!  I have quite a number of times over-boiled my pasta that has resulted in a complete mess. The tip is to bite the pasta while boiling and see if it is still a little undercooked. I boil my pasta with water, salt and a little olive oil in the microwave for 13 minutes, and then check if it is soft yet firm. Well, that is the texture you should be looking for. 13 minutes is my key time. You can try and set yours with a little bit of practice.
4. Add vegetables. I know I had skipped this step here because I did not have veggies at home, but pasta with veggies would be filling as well as an alternative for kids and adults alike to eat veggies in a delicious way!
5. Choose the sauce that goes well with your taste. I love anything that has cheese in it, so white sauce is my staple favourite. However, the red sauce as cooked with tomatoes is another lesser unhealthy option. The recipe will be up soon next.
6. Lastly, keep the spices and salt a little on the lower side. You can always add some dried oregano and chilli flakes as per your taste. I had once added too much of spices that had resulted in a disastrous pasta.

So this is my quick, easy version of cooking pasta. Do try it out and let me know your feedback in the comments section below. And do share this recipe with your friends by using the share icons. Till then, this is S.P. signing off from Tic Talk Toe. Have a great Sunday.