Spinach Surprise is an Italian Pasta dish, which I prepare for my daughters and it is one of their favourite pasta dishes, which is a one pot filling, healthy meal.
In this dish, I normally put 3 layers and then bake it and serve with seasoned bread or garlic bread.
In this, first layer would comprise of spinach pockets, with seasoned paneer filling.
Second layer is Pasta with white sauce and third and final layer is Grated cheese mixed with bread crumbs and a dollop of butter here and there. After baking, I normally serve this with seasoned bread or garlic bread with some tossed and seasoned veggies at the side.
It is a wholesome homemade pasta and comparatively low in calorie as well.
We will see, how I prepare-
Ingredients:
For 1st layer / Spinach pockets with Paneer filling:
Large spinach leaves – 20 -22
Paneer/Cottage cheese – 100 grams, grated
Butter – 1 – 2 tsp
Onion – 1 small
Green Chilli – 2, minced
Red Chilli flakes – 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
For 2nd Layer / Pasta in White sauce:
Pasta – 1 cup
Butter – 2 tbsp
whole wheat flour – 2 – 4 Tbsp
Milk – 2 – 4 cups
Grated cheese – 2 table spoons
Garlic salt (if you don’t have garlic salt, add chopped garlic and salt)
Oregano
Red chilli flakes
If u want to add any vegetables, you can add, or you can make only white sauce as well.
For 3rd and Final layer:
Bread crumbs – 2 table spoons
Grated cheese – 4 table spoons
Method:
For the 1 st layer / Spinach pockets with Paneer filling:
-Blanch spinach in boiling water, drain, pass through cold tap water and keep aside.
-Grate paneer, chop onion, green chillies.
– Take one tawa, heat butter, fry onion, green chilli, sprinkle some garlic salt, chilli flakes and switch off. Mix in grated paneer.
-Fill this mixture in spinach leaves, fold or roll like a mat and make a pocket.
-Place all this ready paneer filled spinach pockets in a baking dish.
For 2nd Layer / Pasta in White sauce:
-Cook pasta in enough water, drain and keep it ready.
-Take one tawa, melt butter over low flame, fry whole wheat flour until it turns light brown.
-Switch off the gas, add milk slowly while stirring and make a uniform mixture.
-Heat this mixture and boil. When it reaches the required consistency, add in cooked and drained pasta, garlic salt, oregano, red chilli flakes and grated cheese.
-Pour this over spinach pockets and it is our 2nd layer.
-While pouring, it should be little runny, after baking, it would turn out perfect.
Now comes the 3rd and Final layer:
-Mix grated cheese, bread crumbs and sprinkle all over. It should cover uniformly.
-Sprinkle a dollop of butter here and there (I have grated cold butter)
Bake this in a pre-heated oven for 10 – 15 minutes at 180 °C or until light brown and serve as it is or with seasoned bread toast.
How to season a bread:
-Mix one table spoon of butter, one to two table spoons of Hot and sweet tomato sauce or ketch up, 1 tea spoon of oregano.
-Apply this mixture over sliced bread and bake this in a pre heated oven for 5 minutes or roast it on a hot tawa on a stove top.
How to make tossed vegetable side dish:
-Take whatever vegetables you want to include. Dice one onion.
-Blanch beans and drain.
-Now take one tawa, heat some olive oil, drop onions fry for a while.
-Now add all the veggies (I have taken beans, carrots, zucchini, winged beans) and toss for a couple of minutes.
-Add seasoning like garlic salt, red chilli flakes and oregano and serve.