PENNE IN SPICY PEPPER SAUCE

I always wanted to send in recipes for the Bookmarked Recipes but somehow I fail in my attempt. The other main thing is, though I do send recipes to the event now and then, I always thought I must try Aipi's recipes and send it to her event so that it will be added fun and a simple way to make  my blog friend feel nice :-) So finally, the day came and beginning of this week I was looking at her blog to see what I could try. I am a pasta fan and so is my husband. But too bored of the regular white and red sauces mixed in it. So this penne in spicy pepper sauce grabbed my attention. Yesterday, I made all arrangement, bought necessary grocery and made this recipe. We both really enjoyed our dinner so much. I loved the spicy sauce ( I made it little bit more spicy) with basil flavor... It tasted sooo good. I am really happy that I am posting this recipe for her event and I wish and pray that I should be able to send in entries to all my blogging friends events.  Without any delay, I shall now give you the recipe.

The original recipe is here. I followed the exact same recipe with smaller proportion for just the two of us.

Ingredients:

Red Bell Pepper - 1 chopped roughly

Garlic - 2 cloves

Tandoori Masala - 1 tsp

Walnuts - Less than 1/4 cup chopped

Red Chilli flakes - to taste

Salt - to taste

Basil - 2 tbsp chopped 

Olive Oil - 2 tbsp

Veggies - own choice - i used carrots, zucchini and squash - 1/2 cup chopped

Penne Pasta - 1 cup

Preparation:

Cook the pasta and set aside. 

In a pan, heat oil and saute red bell pepper and garlic until tender. Blend them in a blender with walnuts, basil, tandoori masala. Grind it to a smooth paste. 

In a pan, heat another tbsp of oil and saute onion and other squash till they become tender. Mix in the ground paste and let it cook for about a minute or two until it blends well with veggies. Add salt according to taste. 

Now stir in the pasta and mix well and let it cook for another minute or two till the sauce mixes well. 

Serve hot with garlic bread. 

Sending this to Aipi's Bookmarked Recipes hosted by Priya and to Revathi's Herbs anf Flowers in my platter - Basil started by PJ from Seduce you tastebuds

Restaurant Style Eggplant Parmigiana????

My husband and I were really excited to have this as our dinner last night. I was so bored of regular dinner menu and I suddenly thought why not try this parmigiana for a change. Both of us like it so much that we end up eating this dish whenever we go to Olive Garden. I think its the best vegetarian dish that we get. I always thought it was a detailed procedure to make it. But then I realized it was really simple if we had the right ingredients. I found this recipe on food network. It made some changes to it to suit my requirements. One can never go wrong in this menu. Its very simple and tasty. Kids would love this dish. 

Ingredients

Italian Eggplant - 1 ( I used 1/2 of it since we were only 2 of us . So it depends on how many you need. I got 12 slices out of my half eggplant.)

Bread crumbs (Italian Style) - 1 cup

Oil - to deep fry

Mozzarella Cheese - 2- 3 slices

Parmesan Cheese - 2 tbsp grated

Sphagetti pasta - Handfull 

All purpose flour / Maida - 1 tbsp 

Marinara Sauce - 1/4 cup

Preparation:

First, make a thin paste with the flour ( You can use eggs in replacement of flour. We dont eat egg so i used flour. ). Cut eggplant into medium sized slices. You can remove the skin or just keep the skin on. Dip the eggplant into that flour paste and then dip it in bread crumbs. 

Deep fry the eggplant untill brown. Cook pasta simultaneously.

After frying keep top the fried eggplant with mozzarella cheese and bake it in the oven for few mins till the cheese melts. We could bake pasta topped with marinara sauce along with eggplant. But bake it just to heat it and not for too long. 

Serve the pasta and sauce along baked eggplant. Also if you need more marinara sauce, you can always add it on top of the eggplant before baking. We like to have the eggplant crispy. so i just added the cheese on top. But in restaurants, they top the eggplant with cheese and some marinara sauce. Garnish with some grated Parmesan cheese before serving. 

Enjoy the meal!!!! 

Sending this to Torview's Food Paletter Series - Brown

Spaghetti in Tomato Basil Sauté

Thinking about dinner drives me nuts. Somehow I have become lazy with this climate and dont feel like making anything. So when I went inside my kitchen to think about dinner, I found my spaghetti lying there in the corner. Of all dishes I feel pasta is very simple. So I decided to make something with spaghetti. What about veggies??? Oh no!!! I cant cut vegetables for pasta, I thought.. I was lazy but I had to come up with something for dinner. Thats when this idea struck me and I tried this dish which is very simple and very easy. It came out well and it passed the test and got an "A grade" from my husband. :-)

Ingredients:

Spaghetti Pasta - 10 Oz

Tomato - 3 small

Basil - 2 tbsp finely chopped
Salt - to taste
Olive Oil - 1 tbsps
Garlic - 1/2 tbps chopped/grated

Preparation: 

In a large pot, bring water ( Salt and Olive Oil added ) to boil and add spaghetti. Let it cook untill tender. Drain water and leave it aside.

In another pan, heat a tbsp oil and toss garlic and fry for few seconds.

I just pureed tomatoes with my food masher and added it to the pan. You can just add cut tomatoes. I was too lazy to cut into small cubes.

Add more salt if required and let it cook untill the tomatoes gets tender and you will get thick sauce.

Now add basil and stir well.

Add spaghetti and mix until everything blends well.

Thats it !!! Simple right??? The flavor of garlic with olive oil and tomato basil give a great taste to the dish..

Enjoy your Meal!!! Sending this to Ruth's Presto Pasta Night hosted by Claudia for this week

Delicious Linguine in 10 mins

I was talking to my friend in St. Louis the other day and we were talking about differnet recipes to try. She told me about this recipe that she tasted in an Italian restuarant and my friend and her usband both liked it very much. It was so simple but very delicious - she said. No need for any sauce or any special ingredient. Just couple of right ingredients make the dish as delicious as a restaurant's dish. I tried the same recipe with some twists here and there. Anything spicy, I love it so I added hot sauce turned the dish to needs of our taste buds.  Came out very well and it dint take much time at all.Very simple but delicious meal ready in jus 10 mins.

Ingredients:

Olive Oil - 2 tbsps
Onion - 1 medium chopped in medium size cubes
Tomato - 1 chopped in medium cubes
Linguine - 8Oz (I used half from 16 Oz pack)
Basil - 1 tbsps chopped to garnish
Salt - to taste
Chilli sauce - 2 tbsps ( Depends on your spice level)
Pepper powder - To taste
Garlic - 2 pods chopped
Cloves - 5
Spinach - 3/4 cup chopped
Parmesan cheese - 1 tbsps grated  to garnish ( I used Mozzarella since I had that)

Serves 2

Cook linguine pasta in boiling water untill tender.  Strain it and keep it aside

In a pan, heat oil, add cloves and garlic. Fry it till for about a min and add onion. Fry for just few seconds. Onions need not be fully cooked.

Add spinach and salt if needed. Mix until spinach shrinks.

Add chilli sauce, linguine, basil and mix everything well and turn off heat.

Add tomato chunks and mix well. Tomato has to get cooked in the heat within the dish.

Garnish with cheese, pepper and some basil before serving. Serve it with garlic bread.

The smell of  fresh basil, pepper with the pasta wooowww!! I loved it. Its really a great dish that is ready in just 10 mins.

Sending this to Presto Pasta Nights by Ruth hosted by Bellini Valli  for this week.

Spicy Herbed Fusilli Pasta

Last week I was in my cousin's house when I made this pasta dish. My niece Aks loved it so much that my cousin was so suprised to see her daughter eat this dish morsel after morsel. Yesterday my cousin called and told me that my niece asked her for that same pasta dish and  she had to make it for her. So i want to dedicate this dish for my niece Aks.

This is a simple pasta recipe with flavors that you will love. Nothing special or extraordinary but just the right flavor gives it a great taste. It is also very healthy. We can use wheat or multi grain pasta too. Multi grain pasta it adds more nutrional value to our food.

Serves - 2

Ingredients:

Fusilli Pasta - 2 cups ( You can use wheat or multi grain pasta also)
Yellow Bell Pepper - 1/2 cut lengthwise
Carrot - 1 cut lengthwise
Onion - 1 Cut lengthwise
Baby Spinach - 1/4 cup
Tomato onion garlic marinara sauce- 1 and 1/2 cup
Olive Oil - 2 Tbsps
Red Chilli Crushed or Chilli paste - 2 -3 Tbsps (depends on your spice level)
Herbed Feta cheese or any cheese of your choice - 1/4 cup
Dry or fresh herbs (Rosemary /Oregano / Basil / Mint) - 2 tsps
Salt - a pinch.

Preparation

In a large pan, boil 6-8 cups water and add the fusilli pasta and little salt. Cook till it becomes tender. Drain water and keep pasta aside.

In another pan, heat olive oil and add onion. Fry for 2 mins and add cut vegetables except spinach Add marinara pasta sauce and salt (if necessary as the pasta sauce already has salt in it) to the half cooked vegetables and let it cook for another 2 mins untill it mixes well. I add the chilli paste along with this mixture at this point to give that kick to the pasta dish. Those who prefer the traditional pasta can jus sprinkle crushed pepper on top just before serving.

Now add the cooked pasta and mix well. Sprinkle the cheese and spinach on top of the pasta and put it in the oven for about 25-30 mins just to set well. Pre heat the oven 375 degrees. Check in between to avoid burning of food. Now the pasta is ready to be served. Serve pasta with garlic bread and sprinkle dry herbs on top jus before serving. It gives good aroma to the food and herbs are anyways good for health.

You can make this same dish with penne, maccheroni, spaghetti, rigatoni. You can also include any vegetable of your choice. Kids will love this dish and its a great disguise for vegetables. Enjoy the dish and I will be back soon!