Vegetable Pasta in Pumpkin Sauce:

Do you feel strange? While reading “pumpkin”, that too in pasta? No need to feel!! It tastes good at the same time; it is a delicious, nourishing one-pot meal. You can check all my Pasta recipes, which has one thing or the other to make enjoyable of otherwise bland white sauce, which I usually plan for my daughter, who hates bland Bechamel white sauce.

Pumpkin is the most neglected all-round vegetable, even though considered as fall/winter vegetable in other parts of the world. It is low in calories, high in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals as well as high on the natural source of Beta carotene. Hence, whenever I have a fresh homegrown pumpkin is around, I make Pumpkin puree and store it in my freezer. In that way, it is handy whenever it is needed to make pasta or needed for baking.

We would see the procedure –

Ingredients:

Any pasta – 1 cup (of your choice)

Pumpkin Puree – ½ to ¾ the cup (according to your taste)

Veggies – 1 bowl (I have used zucchini, three colour bell peppers)

Butter or olive oil – 2 tablespoons

Whole wheat flour – 2 to 3 tablespoons

Milk – acc to the requirement

Garlic salt

Red chilli flakes

Italian seasoning

Grated cheese  – as you wish (it is purely optional )

Method:

– Drop pasta in boiling water in which,1 tsp of oil and little salt has been added and cooked.

-When it is done, drain the cooked pasta.

-Cool the pasta by pouring cold water and set aside.

– Chop the veggies and keep aside.

– Make white/pumpkin sauce: put some butter, fry wheat flour (3 TBL sp), add milk and mix nicely. Till it smooths out.

-Add pumpkin puree, drained pasta, garlic salt, red chilli flakes, Italian seasonings and give one boil, keep aside.

-I always keep pumpkin puree in the freezer. The recipe is here.

-In another Tawa, add either butter or olive oil, put chopped or sliced veggies, add req amount of red chilli flakes, garlic salt.

-when it wilts, add ready pumpkin sauce(wth pasta), grated cheese. Check for seasoning. Serve. 

 

Mug Pasta or One Bowl Pasta:

When my daughter had a holiday in between her exams, she has demanded for this treat for an afternoon lunch. She was alone on that day and I prepared it only for her and she was happy with the result. Today, I made it once again for my twins and I wanted to share the recipe with all my readers.

If you have seen my earlier posts of pastas I normally add any flavours to the white sauce. One of my daughters doesn’t like the bland taste, and here I thought of using tomato to give a little tangy taste.

I have used cooked elbow macaroni pasta. You are free to use any kind of pastas.

My daughter wanted Broccoli, capsicum and onion as veggie filling.

Then comes, grated cheese. I have used mozzarella cheese.

Here I am going to give for 2 big cups (meal for 2 kids)

DSC_4781_Fotor

Ingredients:

Macaroon – 1 cup

Broccoli – ½ cup

Capsicum – 1

Onion – 1

Olive oil or butter – 2 tsp

Tomato – 2

Whole wheat flour – 2 tea spoons

Milk – ½ cup

Seasonings – of your choice

Garlic salt – as needed

Mozzarella cheese – as needed

Method:

-At first, cook tomato in a sauce pan by adding half a cup of water. Remove and cool.

Ribbet collage

-In the same saucepan, blanch broccoli in boiling water and drain. It will help to remove any pesticide traces.

-In the same sauce pan, add required amount of water, little oil, salt and boil. Add pasta and cook into al Dante. Drain and keep aside.

-Chop onion, capsicum.

-Take one tawa, add 1 tea spoon of butter, toss all the three veggies (onion, broccoli and capsicum) by adding garlic salt, pizza seasoning, red chilli flakes or any other seasoning of your choice.

-Now tossed vegetable is ready and kept aside.

-Now we will make a pasta sauce.

-Fry whole wheat flour with butter or olive oil.

Ribbet collage 2

-Take one blender, mix fried whole wheat, milk and cooked tomato with water in which it has cooked.

-Churn and make a paste.

-Cook this paste in a sauce pan by adding garlic salt, any seasoning. I have added crushed rosemary, jalapeno pepper and garlic salt seasoning.

-When it starts boiling and becomes shiny and thick, switch off the gas.

-Now comes the assembling part.

Ribbet collage 3

-Take 2 Big ceramic mugs, if it is not available, use any baking dish.

-At first, pour couple of spoons of the prepared pasta sauce. Add grated cheese according to your wish.

-Add half of cooked pasta as a layer. Then half of veggie mix. Over to this, pour half the quantity of pasta sauce.

Ribbet collage 4

-Once again repeat the action. Empty all the remaining pasta, then veggies, pasta sauce.

Ribbet collage 5

-It will reach till the rim. Take one thick kitchen towel and place the mug and tap a little.

-All the sauce will settle,  sprinkle grated cheese on top.

Ribbet collage 6

-Bake these ready mugs in a pre-heated oven at 180C for 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese melts or becomes light brown.

-Serve with Love 😊