Macaroni In Creamy Mascarpone Cheese Sauce

Dear All,

Pasta is something which I love a lot but my sister R is absolutely crazy behind them. Frankly I have never seen a person so crazy behind pastas as much as her. Even if she hears the name pasta her eye balls pop out and her head automatically turns that direction. Infact the only reason she loves to attend weddings these days are because she will be able to eat different types of pastas..lord! Another thing she is too fond of is cheese! Yes cheese and butter are her favorites and I am always very jealous of her as she eats goodies loaded with butter and cheese without even putting on few hundred grams whereas I put on even if i smell it! The last part was just an exaggeration but its quite true, I am sure you all must have come across many individuals who dont really put on weight even if they eat very fattening. Isnt that unfair???

After successfully making mascarpone cheese at home, its become my all time favorite and i try to incorporate it in my desserts as well and I dont need to mention that the results are amazing, some yummy desserts and cakes coming up soon! Last weekend my sister was having a gals night out at home. Well she wanted me to make some pasta as just like R her friends too were nuts about it! I already had some mascarpone cheese at home so I decided to make white sauce using mascarpone cheese. The experiment turned out quite well and everyone loved it! R had pasta for lunch and for dinner the next day, still  wondering about her madness for pastas? I will never understand!

The recipe below will serve 6 to 8

Ingredients for Mascarpone Cheese Sauce:-

2 tbsp butter

1/2 cup all purpose flour (maida)

1 cup milk

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese (100 gms), recipe here

1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese (any variety will do)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Pasta:-

Macaroni pasta 2 cups
1 big green bell pepper, chopped
1 big white onion. chopped
1 tsp olive oil

Some grated cheese for garnishing

Procedure:-

• Prepare the pasta as instructed on the cover. Drain and keep aside.
• In a pan, heat olive oil and add in the bell peppers and onions, lightly saute them for 3 to 4 mins. Remove from pan and keep aside.
• In a heavy botton pan, preferrably non stick, melt the butter. Add in the flour and mix well, roast the flour for about 4 to 5 mins on low heat, make sure the flour does not get burnt.
• Slowly add in the milk and keep on stirring to avoid any lumps. Make sure the gas on slow heat. Cook for 2 to 3 mins.
• Now stir in the mascarpone cheese, salt and pepper and keep on stirring well.
• Cook for 2 to 3 mins, finally add in the cheddar cheese and cook for another 2 mins.
• Stir in the cooked pastas, bell peppers & onions and mix well, make sure you do it slowly as pasta tends to break easily and looks messy.
• Garnish with some grated cheese and basil leaves. 
• Serve hot!

Verdict? I too grabbed few spoonfuls each timing praying and promising myself that this one will be the last but I just couldnt stop and before I knew i had finished off an entire plate, yup the same one shown in the pics above! It was yummy and sinfully creamy! I am sure it will be a big hit with kids as well!

Easter and long weekend is coming up so here's wishing all my blog reader's a very Happy Easter and wonderful time with your families!

Maggi Or Pasta?.....its a Fusion

Dear All,

As you all know by now, how much I love to experiment, this bug of experimenting with different cuisines  didnt suddenly bite me, it all started right from my school days when i used to actively help my mom in the kitchen. Many a times my mom would ask me to make simple dal or dry vegetable curry for my dad's tiffin and what a surprise my dad would get when he took his first bite as the taste would be completely different than what my mom prepares... thanks to my little experiments :)

My todays recipe is one of our family favorites, the result of another experiment which started in school days and continues till date. Maggi is probably one of the most loved dish across all age groups. I havent come across anyone who isnt fond of Maggi noodles and i know lots of people who donot like chocolates..duh..can you believe it? It is the dish with which many of us have started our journey in the kitchen, am i wrong?

Back in my good old school days, I used to often visit my aunts place (my mom's elder sis) during summer vacations. They has this tradition where every sunday morning the whole family sits together and enjoys the breakfast, and yes you guessed it right, the breakfast would be Maggi noodles! During those days there was only one kind of flavor available, the masala one and we kids would generously sprinkle tomato ketchup on top and devour these until we licked up the entire bowl...yes we were that crazy!

I think before you all fall asleep I'll get to the recipe, I have always been a very big fan of italian cuisine, especially pastas with fresh herbs..basil being my favorite and recently i have discovered my new love for parsley. During school days and even now at home we have tulsi  (basil) plants, i usually grab some handful of leaves from my plant and use them....love the aroma of some freshly plucked basil, its unbeatable! I have used lots of fresh herbs here mainly basil and parsley with a tinge of paprika and dry oregano. The dish is extremely easy to prepare and tastes fabulous, i would say a perfect meal for a weeknight..did i mention its healthy and fulfilling too?

This is off to "Family Recipes"  an monthly event hosted by HoneyB and Laura

(Meal for 2 people)
Ingredients:
3 packets of Maggi noodles, broken into half (I used the Masala flavored)
1 big onion, sliced thinly
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/3 cup of frozen green peas
1 small red jalapeno, chopped finely
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp dry oregano
2-3 tbsp of freshly chopped basil
2-3 tbsp of freshly chopped parsley
Salt to taste
1 olive tbsp oil
4 cups of water

Procedure:

• Heat olive oil in a big deep vessel or a pan, add in sliced onions and chopped jalapenos. Saute onions for 2-3 mins until soft.
• Add in the bell peppers and green peas, with turmeric powder, paprika, oregano and salt. Cook the bell peppers and green peas for 3 to 4 mins.
  
• Now add in the maggi noodles, along with 4 cups of water.
• Cook the noodles with the vegetables for 7 to 8 mins until cooked.
• Finally add freshly chopped basil and parsley and give a quick stir.
• Serve hot!
  

Farfalle with Eggplant Marinara Sauce

Dear All,

I have been experimenting a lot with different sauces and dips which can be used with pastas and pizzas. So stay tuned as lots of different pasta recipes will be coming up in next few weeks. One such successfull experiment was Rachel Ray's Eggplant Marinara Sauce. Initially I was little skeptical about this sauce as eggplant in a pasta sauce? I have  prepared curries using eggplant but never a sauce! Some googling and i landed on Pavani's version of eggplant pasta sauce, with such grt reviews I had to give it a try! Pasta are really easy, quick and extremely versatile in nature. You can have them baked, boiled and even rooasted! I love to prepare my pasta sauce at home, even if it takes 15 to 20 mins more, i think its totally worth it!

Most of the pasta sauces you can prepare in advance and freeze them, later on use them whenever required. I like to freeze my basic tomato sauce as it works well with both pizza and pasta and its a real life savior when I come back from long day of work! I also love to add pasta to my soups which makes them more healthier and fulfilling! The best part of pastas is that they are one pot meals extremely easy and no compromise on health and taste!

This is off to Presto Pasta Nights guest hosted this week by Rachel of The Crispy Cook an event started by Ruth Daniels of Once Upon A Feast

My Version of Eggplant Marinara Sauce:
For Roasting: 
2 big eggplants
2 medium tomatoes chopped
Salt and Pepper to drizzle


For Sauce:
1 can crushed tomatoes or 3 medium tomatoes finely chopped
1 red jalapeno, finely chopped
2 medium red onions finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika flakes(optional)
Salt and Pepper as per taste
1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano (optional)


Pasta:
2 cups farfalle pasta
4 cups water
1 tsp oil
1 tsp salt

Procedure:

• Cook the pasta with water, oil and salt. Drain and keep aside.
  
• Slice the eggplants into halves, drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle some salt and pepper. Roast the eggplants at 200 degrees C for about 45 mins, until tender and golden brown.
  
• Half way through, spread the chopped tomatoes besides the eggplants on the same baking dish, sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and pepper too.
• At the end of 45 mins both eggplants and tomatoes will be roasted. Remove and keep aside to cool. Mash them nicely using your hands or a fork.
  
• In a pan or skillet, heat a tbsp of olive oil, add in onions and jalapenos. Saute them for 3 to 4 mins until soft. Now add in the crushed tomatoes, mashed and roasted eggplants and tomato mixture. Mix well.
• Add in vinegar and season with salt and pepper if required.I also added 1 tsp of paprika flakes to give a spicy kick.
  
• Cook the sauce for 15 to 20 mins on slow-medium heat, until everything is well blended.
• Finally add in freshly chopped parsley and serve hot with pasta.
  

Sun Dried Tomato, Basil and Cashewnut Pesto with Pasta

Dear All,

It has been a long and rather stressful week at work not that I am complaining, i like to keep my self busy but not that long where i start missing on my lunch and dinner. Dont you all think we should work 4 days a week and get 3 days off? Sometime back we were having this discussion in the office and everybody agreed that we should follow 4 days work rule but the problem here is though everyone agrees on this no one takes any action!

Now after a long day's work i was feeling lazy to cook so settled for something quick , easy and fulfilling. What better than jazzing up some pesto with pasta! It was ready in less than 30 mins and personally i love the flavors of tomatoes and fresh basil, one of my favorite combinations. I have used cashewnuts here to enhance the richness of the dish, you can use any of your favorite nuts like walnuts, almonds or pine nuts.

As you can see I have changed my blog layout as well. I was in search of a new layout from a very long time and finally found one! I am planning to make few changes as well so do watch out! Do let me know how do like my new layout and if you have any suggestions to make it more user friendly :)

Sending this to Presto Pasta Nights guest hosted this week by Helen of Fuss Free Flavors, started by Ruth of Once Upon A Feast

Its been raining awards in our blogosphere and of course I am drenched too :) Sushma, Pinky, Faiza Ali, Priya, Shri and Shabs all have passed these wonderful awards to me. Thank you all for your wonderful gestures, you all have made my day! Padma has tagged me to share my ABCs....hmmm suddenly my mind is now remembering the abc nursery rhyme...let me see if i remember it all :)

The Rules: 1. Link the person who tagged you. 2. Post the rules on your blog. 3. Share the ABCs of you. 4. Tag 4 people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs. 5. Let the 4 tagged people know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website. 6. Do not tag the same person repeatedly but try to tag different people, so that there is a big network of bloggers doing this tag. The Tag: 1. A – Available/Single? Huh? 2. B – Best friend? Many 3. C – Cake or Pie? Cake 4. D – Drink of choice? Buttermilk 5. E – Essential item you use every day? Laptop, Phone and Sunscreen lotion 6. F – Favorite color? Sky Blue 7. G – Gummy Bears Or Worms? Loved Gummy Bear Cartoon on disney :) 8. H – Hometown? Aamchi Mumbai 9. I – Indulgence? Lots - chocolates, ice creams, chaats etc 10. J – January or February? hm....January thats close to my birthday :) 11. K – Kids & their names? Not Applicable 12. L – Life is incomplete without? My Family and friends 13. M – Marriage date? Not Applicable 14. N – Number of siblings? 2 - 1 sister, 1 brother 15. O – Oranges or Apples? Oranges 16. P – Phobias/Fears? Insects....cant stand them 17. Q – Quote for today? Whatever Happens, Happens for the Best 18. R – Reason to smile? Many - Old memories, appreciation, when i see a small baby etc 19. S – Season? Rainy in India, Spring outside India .20. T – Tag 3 People? Just 3? 21. U – Unknown fact about me? I still have to discover myself :) 22. V – Vegetable you don't like? Bitter Gourd 23. W – Worst habit? Speak tooo fast, trying to change 24. X – X-rays you've had? Many... 25. Y – Your favorite food? Lots..food made by my mom, right now craving for pani puri 26. Z – Zodiac sign? Capricorn Friends I would like to Tag are Nithya, Lone Acorn, Lena and Rekha Ingredients: 1 cup pasta boiled of your choice (I used spagetthi) 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes 12 - 15 cashewnuts 1 big tomato chopped 1/4 cup olive oil (I used from the sundried tomatoes) 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves 1/2 paprika flakes (optional) Salt and Pepper to taste Procedure:

• Roast cashewnuts lightly in oven for 5 mins. We donot want some golden brown.
• In a pan saute the tomatoes with very little oil for about 2 mins, until soft.
• Grind together sundried tomatoes, basil, chopped tomatoes, cashewnuts, paprika flakes and oil together into smooth paste.
• Season the pesto with salt and pepper according to your taste.

Serving Suggestions: Pesto goes very well with pasta or you can serve them with crackers and bread sticks, makes wonderful appetizers! I know its been a long post, signing off here, have a wonderful and fun filled weekend !!!

Luv,

Pasta in Tomato and Leek Sauce

I had first tasted Leeks in my office cafeteria and i absolutely fell in love with it. Leeks belong to the same vegetable family as onions and garlic, called Allium. Since Leek belong to thw same vegetable family as onions and garlic, they do share many health beneficial compounds. Research has shown that consuming allium vegetable reduces the risk of prostate and colon cancer, it also helps in stabalizing the bloog sugar level. Find more information on leeks, here. Leeks with a more delicate and sweeter flavor than onions adds subtle touch to the dish without empowering the other flavors present in it. The recipe I am sharing today is very simple one but tastes great. Ideal for weeknights meal and is ready in half an hour. The recipe below serves two. Sending this to Presto Pasta Nights, PPN#118 this week hosted by Daphne. Remember my question, here? A big THANK YOU to all who gave their suggestions and views. I chose Blogher because of their flexibility in contract and i really like the way they frame their ads, I am not sure about the revenue as I have just started :) Ammu has passed "One Lovely Blog Award" to me, thank you very much dear, you are very generous :) Ingredients: For Pasta: 1 cup pasta, any variety 1/2 tsp oil Salt to taste Water to cook For Tomato Sauce: 1 medium onion chopped finely 2 tbsp tomato puree 3 medium tomatoes quatered 1 medium tomatoe finely chopped 2 tbsp fresh crean 1 tsp dry basil leaves 1 tsp butter Salt & Pepper to taste For Leek Sauce: 1 big leek 1 tsp butter 1 tsp cornflour 2 tbsp milk 2 tbsp fresh cream Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

• Cook the pasta in about 3 to 4 cups water, add oil and salt, cook till tender.
• For tomato sauce, grind together 3 quatered tomatoes with very little water in smooth paste. Pass through a sieve to remove the seeds.
• In a pan, heat butter, now add in chopped tomatoes and onions, sauce for about 2 to 3 mins, until onions become soft.
• Now add in tomato puree and tomato paste which we prepared earlier, mix well and cook for another 3 mins.
• Add dry basil leaves, salt, pepper and fresh cream and cook for another 2 mins.
• For Leek sauce, clean the leek well. Use only the white and light green parts of the leek and chop them finely.
• In a heave saucepan, add butter and finely cut leek pieces and sauce until light golden brown.
• Mix cornflour into milk and make a smooth paste.
• Add fresh cream and cornflour mixture into leek and mix well. The mixture will thicken very soon.
• Season it with salt and pepper.
• To serve, mix tomato sauce and pasta well together, add little leek sauce on top, garnish with few coriander leaves and serve hot.

Indian Style Spaghetti Pasta with Olive Oil

I had packet of spaghetti pastas in my pantry from a very long time. Usually for my pastas i make the tomato sauce at home but that day i was feeling lazy after long days work to make the sauce as the result i made this spaghetti using Indian spices and veggies. I was extremely happy with the final results, spaghetti was delicious and spicy, totally mouth watering. Olive oil gives a very distinct taste which i love and its healthy too. I have used red bell peppers, onions and green beans for veggies, you can use various different combinations. Next time i'll add in some baby corns and spring onions. The below recipes serves 2 people. This dish is off to AFAM - Olives hosted by Priya started by Maheshwari . This dish also goes to FIC Red & Green hosted by Neha, started by Sunshinemom of TongueTicklers

Ingredients:
1 small packet of spaghetti (Serve for 2 people)
1 cup veggies thinly sliced (green beans, onions and red bell peppers)
1 tsp olive oil
3 green chillies slit
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
Salt to taste

Procedure:

• Boil the spaghetti pasta along with little salt and 1tsp of olive oil till tender and cooked. Drain and keep aside.
• In a sauce pan, heat the olive oil, add in cumin seeds and split green chilies. As the cumin seeds start to splutter add in the veggies, red chili, turmeric, cumin and coriander powders and salt.
• Cover and cook for about 15 to 20 mins on low heat until cooked.
• For serving mix spaghetti and vegetables and serve hot. 
• Garnish with spring onions and coriander.