Creamy Mushroom & Spinach Pasta

I bought this cook book couple of months back. A great book with a collection of over 100 vegetatian recipes. As soon as I went thru the book at the airport, I decided to buy it and bought it. However it is today for the first time that I actually tried a recipe from it. Made little changes as per my taste. I've never had creamy pasta and did not know whether it will please my palate(coz I love spicy food). However I was pleasantly surprised on how tasty it turned out. When my DH came home he said if I had told him that I ordered the pasta from a restaurant he would have believed it. I was thrilled to the core and have decided to make atleast one recipe a week from that book. So here's the recipe... Happy cooking...

Ingredients:

Pasta of your choice - 300 gms( I used fusilli/spiralli)
Mushrooms - 250 gms
Spinach - 150 gms/1 cup(heaped)
Dried Oregano - 2 tbsp
Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
Cream - 8 tbsp
Water/Veg stock - 1 cup
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a heavy bottom kadhai over medium heat. Add chopped mushrooms and cook for about 5 - 6 minutes stirring frequently.

Add oregano, stock/water and lemon juice and cook for 10 - 12 minutes or until sauce is reduced to half. 

Now add cream and spinach and cook over medium low heat for about 3 - 5 minutes.

Now add cooked pasta, season with salt an pepper and serve hot. 

Cook the Pasta in a large pan of salted boiling water according to the instructions provided in the package.
Heat oil in a heavy bottom kadhai over medium heat. Add chopped mushrooms and cook for about 5 - 6 minutes stirring frequently. Add oregano, stock/water and lemon juice and cook for 10 - 12 minutes or until sauce is reduced to half. Now add cream and spinach and cook over medium low heat for about 3 - 5 minutes. Now add cooked pasta, season with salt an pepper and serve hot. 

This recipe is off for this weeks CCC January

Pasta and Cabbage Salad

This one is my favorite. Though it looks and tastes delicious, rich and creamy it is a cheaters salad. This one contains no cream or mayo. I have used hung curd in the dressing and it takes the salad to another level. You can add color to this salad by adding brocolli/capsicum or any other veggie. I wanted to keep it simple. Lets jump to recipe... Happy cooking...

This makes 2 servings.

Ingredients:

Cooked pasta - 1 cup(I used Rigati)
Shredded Cabbage - 1/2 cup
Thinly sliced cucumber - 1
Hung curd - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Black pepper powder - 1 tsp
Crushed walnuts(optional) for garnish

Method:

 

In a mixing bowl add cooked pasta, cabbage and cucumber. Add hung curd and seasonings. Mix well so that all the veggies and pasta is coated with curd. Serve with crushed walnuts. 

In a mixing bowl add cooked pasta, cabbage and cucumber. Add hung curd and seasonings. Mix well so that all the veggies and pasta is coated with curd. Serve with crushed walnuts. 

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Whole wheat pasta in Tomato sauce

I never used to like pasta. But accidentally one day I happened to eat pasta from a famous outlet. Thats it... it was love at first sight. I loved the way they cooked the pasta and the tanginess from tomato was to die for. From then on pasta is a regular at my place. Recently we switched to whole wheat pasta for guilt free indulgence. Here is my quick and simple recipe of whole wheat pasta in tomato sauce... happy cooking...

Ingredients:

Whole wheat pasta - 200 gms
Tomatoes - 6 ripe and red
Sweet corn - 1/2 cup
Green capsicum - 1 
Garlic - 10 - 15 pods
Chilli flakes  - 1 tbsp
Mixed herb - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

In a kadhai/pan, heat oil. Add finely chopped garlic.

Now add tomato puree. Cook until raw smell goes away.

 Now add red chilli flakes, mixed herb and mix well.

Add sweet corn, capsicum and cook till done. Add salt.

Finally add pasta, mix well. Check for seasoning. Cook for about 3 - 5 minutes.

In about a litre of water add salt and few drops oil and bring it to boil. Add wholewheat pasta and cook until al dente. Al dente means that the pasta is cooked but firm, when you bite it, there should be resistance but not raw. Once cooked, strain the pasta and run them through cold water and keep aside.
Blance tomatoes and peel the skin. Once cooled make tomato puree.

In a kadhai/pan, heat oil. Add finely chopped garlic. Now add tomato puree. Cook until raw smell goes away. Now add red chilli flakes, mixed herb and mix well. Add sweet corn, capsicum and cook till done. Add salt. Finally add pasta, mix well. Check for seasoning. Cook for about 3 -5 minutes.
Serve hot with a garnish of grated cheese.

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