Pasta Indiana

Chef: Akanksha Agarwal (26), New Delhi, India

Ingredients
Pasta:

• 2 cups whole grain penne pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Salt

Vegetables:

• 2 medium sliced carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped green beans
• 1 medium chopped bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped cauliflower
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Salt

For Pasta sauce:

• 6 medium diced tomatoes
• 1 15 oz can of diced tomato
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped basil
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes (adjust to taste)
• 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon sugar (adjust to taste)

For Preparing Pasta:

• 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped basil
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes (adjust to taste)

Preparation Steps


Part - 1 (Pasta and Vegetables)
1) In a large pot boil the water with salt and oil.
2) After water comes to the boil add the pasta.
3) Cook the pasta until it is just tender, not too soft. Drain the water and set pasta aside.
4) To prepare the vegetables, heat some oil in a frying pan over medium high heat.
5) Add vegetables (carrot, green beans, bell pepper and mushrooms) and sauté until they are nearly tender.

Part - 2 (Pasta Sauce)

1. Mix the cornstarch in ¼ cup of water and keep aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the basil, Italian herbs, and chili flakes stir and add tomatoes.
3. Let the tomatoes cook until they become pasty.
4. Next add cornstarch, salt and sugar to the tomato sauce, cornstarch will give thickness to the sauce.
5. Next add the sauté vegetables to the sauce and cook for few minutes on medium heat until sauce come to the desirable thickness.

Part - 3 (Bringing it all together)

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and add basil and chili flakes stir for few seconds.
2. Next add the drained pasta and sauté for a minute until pasta is well coated with oil.
3. Pour the vegetable sauce over the pasta
4. Serve hot with slice of French bread and salad.

Estimated Preparation Time: 1 hour

Best Served with: Garlic bread, salad