Fusilli with tri color bell peppers

I came across this recipe in Williams Sonoma's Pasta Cookbook. It looked so colorful that I had to try it out. While the original recipe is for a pasta salad I used the ingredients and came up with a warm pasta dish.

Ingredients 1/2 pound long Fusilli
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper
(use any color you want)
1 tsp of garlic paste
1 tsp of drained capers
1 cup of cubed fresh mozzarella cheese
Red pepper flakes to taste
1/2 tsp of pepper powder
Salt to taste
Olive oil as needed

Method
1. Slice the bell peppers into long strips (you can also cut them into rings), brush with olive oil and add salt and pepper and roast (at 350 degrees) in the oven until done. Set aside.
2. Cook the pasta until al dente. Follow the instructions on the package.
3. Pour olive oil in a pan, add the red pepper flakes and garlic paste and sauté.
4. Add the oven roasted bell peppers and mix well.
5. Transfer the cooked pasta and add salt if required.
6. Remove from flame and add cubed mozzarella pieces.
7. Serve hot.

Pita pizza

Here is a quick and easy pizza recipe. Use store bought pocket less pitas and spice them up any way you want. You can customize each pita to suit individual tastes. Add less or more cheese, change the veggies, etc. and everyone in the family can have a pizza with their choice of toppings.

Pita pizza (for two)

Ingredients2 whole wheat pocket less pitas
1 medium bell pepper
1 medium onion
2-4 tbps of pizza sauce or marinara sauce
Red pepper flakes according to taste
Olive oil
Shredded mozzarella cheese as much as you want

Method
1. Cut the bell pepper and onion into long strips.
2. Brush the pita bread with olive oil.
3. Spread the marinara sauce to cover the entire pita.
4. Spread out the onions and bell peppers on the pita.
5. Top it off with as much mozzarella cheese as you need.
6. Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is all bubbly.

Pitas ready for the oven

7. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and serve immediately.

Pita pizza

Penne Pasta with Lima Beans and Spinach - MBP event - January 2007

Here is my second entry to Coffee's MBP for January 2007. This time it is from the Italian cuisine. I came across this recipe from Lakshmiammal's blog. We eat a lot of pasta and this one was a variation with lima beans and spinach. While I have used spinach to make stuffed shells, this is the first time I used lima beans in a pasta dish. It tastes delicious and is very nutritious too. Click here for the original recipe. Given below is my recipe with a few variations.

Ingredients
1/2 pound of mini penne pasta
1/2 cup of frozen spinach
1/4 cup of lima beans
1 medium sized onion
1 tsp garlic paste
1 cup pasta sauce
1/4 cup half and half
1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese
Fat free cooking spray
Salt to taste
Olive oil as needed

Method1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions and set aside. Pour a teaspoon of oil and mix well so that it does not stick together.
2. Pour oil in a pan and sauté the onions and garlic.
3. Next add the thawed spinach and lima beans and sauté till soft.
4. Add the red pepper flakes and pasta sauce and cook well till it starts bubbling.
5. Lower the flame and add the half and half and mix well.
6. Transfer the reserved pasta into the pan, add salt and mix to coat well with the sauce. (If you have already salted the pasta water then reduce the salt at this stage).
7. Spray an oven-safe dish with the fat-free cooking spray and transfer the pasta mixture into the dish.
8. Top with mozzarella cheese and bake at 425 degrees till the cheese melts or a little long till it becomes brown. (I usually wait till the cheese browns, but I pulled out earlier this time as my daughter was getting hungry).

Pasta mixture topped with the mozzarella cheese

9. Serve hot.

Pasta straight out of the oven with the cheese melted and bubbly

Serving size - 1 cup
Number of servings – 4

Bow-tie pasta with oven roasted vegetables

Pasta is delicious anyway you eat it. This is a healthy recipe with a lot of yummy oven roasted veggies. If you want to further cut down the calories substitute with a whole wheat pasta and skip the cheese.

Ingredients
1 pound bow-tie pasta or Farfalle pasta
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 medium sized zucchini
1 onion
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp crushed garlic
2 tbps grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Red pepper flakes to taste
Salt to taste
Olive oil for roasting the vegetables
Pepper to taste

Method
1. Chop all the veggies. Make big pieces of the bell peppers and onions. Chop the zucchini into round pieces.
2. Add olive oil, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper to the veggies and combine well.
3. Spread on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Turn the veggies while in the oven to ensure they are well roasted.
4. Once the veggies are roasted set them aside and prepare the pasta.
5. Cook one pound of bow tie pasta according to package instructions. Remember to salt the water before adding the pasta.
6. Pour 1 tsp of olive oil in a pan and add red pepper flakes and garlic.
7. Add the roasted veggies and cooked pasta and toss together.
8. Check for seasonings. You can add more red pepper flakes, pepper or salt to suit your taste.
9. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and serve hot.

Serving size - 1 cup
Number of servings - 6

Easy mac and cheese

There are a thousand different ways in which you can spice up your mac and cheese. This simple and delicious veggie mac and cheese is surely a treat at the end of a busy day.

Ingredients

1/2 pound elbow macaroni (any brand)

1 small onion chopped

1 cup of broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)

1/4 cup of green peas (fresh or frozen)

3 tbsps of unsalted butter

3 tbps all purpose flour

3 cups of milk (preferably whole milk)

1 tsp of cayenne pepper

1 tsp of paprika

2-3 cups yellow sharp Cheddar cheese

Red pepper flakes for garnish

Salt to taste

Olive oil

Method
1. Place a pot of water on to boil for macaroni. Once the water bubbles, add salt and the macaroni. Cook as per the package directions or till the pasta is al dente.
2. Heat a pan over medium theat. Add olive oil and saute the onion for a couple of minutes. Then add the broccoli florets and green peas and saute till cooked. Turn off heat and reserve. (Another method to cook the peas and broccoli is to add them directly to the pasta water after the pasta is almost cooked).
3. Make the roux (sauce) by melting the butter in a pan. Once the butter melts add the flour, cayenne and paprika and whisk together until the roux bubbles.
4. Then add the milk and keep stirring over medium heat until the sauce thickens. This could take around 4-5 minutes.
5. Add the cheddar cheese to the sauce and stir until it melts.
6. Add the reserved veggie mixture and the cooked pasta.
7. Garnish with red pepper flakes.
8. Serve hot

Serving size - 1 cup
Number of servings - 4