Thursday 26 / December / 2024
Be it in the tiniest form or long and ribbon shaped, pasta comes in different shapes and sizes making each dish unique and fanciful in its own way. Here are few recipes to make a hearty meal from the most common pastas.
Sausage and Bow Tie Pasta Florentine
Bow tie pasta with sausage and spinach in Alfredo sauce makes a quick and hearty meal that is bound to be the new favourite of your family.
Ingredients
• 400g chicken sausage
• 1 packet of bow tie pasta
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 packet of frozen spinach
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper powder
For the Alfredo sauce
• 1/2 cup butter
• 200g of cream cheese
• 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
• 2 cups milk
• 100g of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper powder
Preparation
• To make the Alfredo sauce, take a non-stick saucepan and melt butter over medium heat. To this add cream cheese and garlic powder, and stir for a while until it turns into a smooth paste. To this mixture pour milk slowly and whisk well for a smooth consistency. See to it that no lumps are formed. Add Parmesan cheese and pepper. Once it gets a sauce like consistency remove from heat.
• Preheat the oven’s broiler and broil the sausages in the preheated oven until they turn crispy from both the sides. If required turn it once so that it gets cooked from both the sides.
• In a boiling salty water add the bow-tie pasta, and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes or until done. Drain it well.
• In a separate pot heat olive oil and stir in the garlic. Sauté it well. Add the Alfredo sauce and simmer. Add the crispy sausages along with the pasta, spinach, and black pepper powder. Stir well till the sauce mixes well with the pasta. Serve hot.
Fast Creamy Penne
A quick and a life saving fix for those busy days where we just have no time to cook up a storm. The sour cream and the tangy tomatoes blend beautifully to create this delicious yet simple meal.
Ingredients
• 1 packet penne pasta
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1/4 large onion chopped
• 1 capsicum or green bell pepper finely chopped
• 1 jar of readymade pasta sauce
• 1 cup sour cream
Preparation
• Take the penne pasta and cook in boiling salty water for 8 to 10 minutes till done. Drain it well.
• Take a large wok or skillet and melt butter. Add onion and bell pepper and sauté until soft, for a while.
• Separately heat pasta sauce in a wok and add the onion and bell pepper mixture.
• Stir well and add the pasta and the sour cream. Cook for about 5 minutes. Serve hot.
Lazy Lasagna
Spinach and chicken in a readymade pasta sauce layered with pasta sauce and Parmesan between lasagna will win your family over with ease.
Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
•3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
•1 onion, finely chopped
•1 small tomato, chopped
• 250g chicken mince, boiled or cooked
•Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
•1/2 teaspoon all spice powder or garam masala
• 1 bunch spinach leaves
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cup Mozzarella cheese, grated (or as per your taste)
•1/2 cup cottage cheese (paneer)
•6 lasagna sheets, boiled
• 1 & 1/2 cups pasta sauce readymade
Preparation
• For Alfredo sauce: Melt 3 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 cup cream, 2 cups Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Now simmer sauce until thickened and smooth. (You can make white sauce instead of Alfredo sauce).
• For chicken mixture: Sauté chopped garlic (half) in olive oil (half). Add finely chopped onions when it turns translucent and add chopped tomatoes, boiled chicken mince and season with salt, red chilli flakes (half) and all spice powder. Keep aside.
• For spinach mixture: Heat olive oil in a pan with garlic (the other half) for 2 minutes.
Add spinach, salt, pepper, and chilli flakes and fry. Mix well spinach, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and well crumbled cottage cheese. Keep aside.
• For lasagna
• Now preheat oven at 380F.
•In an oven safe greased dish place boiled lasagna sheets.
•Now spread some Alfredo sauce, then chicken mixture, then pasta sauce.
•Spread some lasagna sheets in between. •Spread a layer of the spinach cottage cheese mixture.
•Repeat the process.
• Finish it with pasta sauce layer and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese.
•Bake it with aluminium foil covered for 35 minutes at 380F.
•Now bake uncovered for 10 minutes.
•Cut into squares and serve.
Broccoli Tuna Tortellini Salad
Broccoli keeps very good company in this wonderful salad which doubles up as a wholesome and hearty dinner or lunch. The tuna chunks in this salad satisfy your seafood cravings and compliment it with its presence.
Ingredients
• 1 packet of tortellini pasta
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
• 2 medium broccoli (cut in florets)
• 2 tuna tins/cans in spring water
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 onion (finely chopped)
Preparation
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook tortellini in boiling water until al dente. Drain, and rinse under cold water.
• In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, honey, and vinegar to make the dressing.
• In a large bowl, combine broccoli, tuna, tortellini, raisins, sunflower seeds, and onion. Pour dressing over salad, and toss.
Rosemary Pasta in Roasted Garlic Sauce
Simple yet flavourful pasta with the resonant presence of roasted garlic and rosemary is a sheer delight.
Ingredients
• 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 4 cloves of garlic – minced
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 packet of spaghetti
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and black pepper seasonings
Preparation
• Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over low heat. Add the onions; cook and stir until golden.
• Throw in the garlic, and cook for 2 minutes till the rawness disappears. Mix in the vegetable stock and rosemary and cook until reduced by 1/3rd of the quantity.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti pasta, and cook until al dente.
• Drain, then add noodles to the sauce and coat well with the remaining butter. Garnish with Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
