Penne Pasta in Green Sauce

The "bored-by-Indian-food" bug has bit me again (The bug bites me every fortnight :). This time it was an Italian craving. I couldn't get hold of Bruschetta bread...so satisfied myself with the Penne Pasta. I was quite bored with the version that I have tried before. You can check the recipe at http://mykookbook.blogspot.com/2009/01/pasta-in-tomato-and-green-pepper-gravy.html

I was also not in a mood to eat spicy food and therefore went ahead with this Pasta that contained green items.

Penne Pasta in Green Sauce

For two portions:

Ingredients:

• Penne pasta 100 gm, I use Bambino Penne which is available in most of the stores in Mumbai.
• 1 medium-sized tomato, chopped finely
• 1 medium-sized onion, chopped finely
• 1 large-sized green pepper, chopped finely
• 1 teaspoon dried Oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried Parsley
• 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon crushed green chillies
• grated cheese, according to your tastebuds, I used 1/2 cup.
• some oil
• some salt

Method:

For boiling pasta:

1. For 100 g Penne pasta, boil 1-1/2 cups of water in a saucepan. Add some salt and oil to the boiling water. Tip: Doing this prevents the pasta pieces from sticking.
2. To check if the pasta is cooked: Boil for 7-10 minutes. Take piece and slice it using the knife. If the slicing is smooth, that ensures the pasta is cooked. However, you need to doublecheck the taste to see if it is cooked properly. Do not overcook. Drain the water and keep aside.

For the gravy:

1. In a pan, add some oil. Add the chopped onions.
2. Add the ginger-garlic paste and the green chillies. Saute for a while.
3. Now add the green peppers. Saute for a while.
4. Add the tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Sprinkle some salt, the oregano and parsley. Mix well.
6. Pour the drained pasta in this gravy and cook for 4-5 minutes on medium flame with the lid closed.
7. Once cooked, remove from fire.

For Baking:

1. In a baking dish, pour half of the pasta with gravy in form of a layer.
2. Sprinkle a layer of grated cheese.
3. Add another layer of pasta. Top it with another layer of grated cheese.
4. I use the microwave oven to bake it (Convection mode : Preheat for 145 degree Celcius. Once the preheating flickers off, put the dish in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes). This may depend on the microwave you are using. I am using Godrej 30 Litres 1200 Watts.
5. Once done serve garnish with chopped coriander.

Ready for serving. A good treat for small get togethers and parties.