Just Another Penne Pasta Recipe- Vegetarian This Time

Oh! Yeah it’s Wednesday today, two more days to the next weekend, but why I need to keep saying that, you already know this. Don’t you? You know, it has become almost a habit of me, trying to assess in the mid of the week, how many days are left for the next weekend. Is it just me or you are with me there in the line?
We patiently wait for the weekend almost the entire week. And the moment when we finally arrive, even before it starts, it almost gets finished, gone. Like chocolate pieces, which tends to melt in your mouth in a moment? You put the chocolate pieces in mouth, and it starts to hit the palette, and before you can realize, it’s all gone. Why good thing always come to end in short span of time?

Leave it.Ok then there are days when I, as a legend goes with me and DH, happen to spill tea over anything and everything (There goes my lil secret out in net) my mobile, books, you name it and I have spilled it over everything. Last weekend, while becoming way too much excited, watching and listening to an old song on YouTube, where else? You know kind of “bhule-bisre-geet-types” I spilled the half drunk cup of tea over the laptop early in the morning. And what a great way to start the weekend on that note, isn't? Well hearing me going crazy over it, DH from the other room, who was attending a conference call, asked did you again spilled a cup of tea? And listening to all this commotion, my DD came running leaving aside her important work of sketching and painting and asked “Ma! And you tell me to drink my cup of milk away from the laptop, and now look at you, what have you done?"  DH also joined in with her later on and then my hours in "sat-sang" started, both started giving me instructions on how to or better how not to handle a hot cup of tea especially near the laptop.Hell yeah! It isn't  a rocket science or the escape velocity whatever.But when your own words start to bounce back at you, you know you have finally arrived, nirvana stage! And you don’t even know what to do with, eat it or drink it!! The eternal Bengali Confusion.( PS - The wine glass is not having wine in it , its a red grape juice and yeah this time I stayed away from all mobiles, books and all electronic devices)

Well this penne pasta recipe, is I am sure nothing special or as the title says just another vegetarian penne pasta recipe, but yes if you put the amount of love that goes in making it , am sure it’s going to taste heaven no matter what may come.I have earlier told that most of the time, on weekend I tend to cook many pasta recipes and with many vegetables. I really don’t know if beans or mushroom goes well with penne pasta or any pasta for that matter, but provided if you tend to think innovative ways this works fine. I happen to have some baby spinach, not much which also did go into making this.

Now to the recipe
Just Another Penne Pasta  Recipe - a Vegetarian's Delight
Serves-3-4
Recipe requirements
About quarter packet of penne pasta or roughly 250 grams
For the sauce
2 tomatoes
4 cups of chopped mushroom
2 cups of chopped green beans
1 cup of baby spinach
3 cloves of garlic
1 medium size onion
2 heaped tbs of pasta sauce jarred
Seasoning
1 tsp of red pepper powder (optional)
1 tsp of dried oregano
1 tsp of salt
3-4 tbs of olive oil
Method
Put a big saucepan with enough water on boil. Add pinch of salt and little bit of oil, not much. Now add in the penne pasta. Cook al dente I mean cooked and firm but not hard. Drain excess water.
Meanwhile the penne pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce
Heat up a saucepan, add in olive oil in a saucepan, and now fry the chopped garlic to a nice brown hue. Now add in chopped onions. Fry further 3-4 mints.
Now add in all the chopped vegetables- tomato, mushroom, green beans and baby spinach. Although, no need to chop baby spinach.Tip-For crispier spinach leaves, leave them covered within cooked penne pasta saucepan.This way leaves cook just enough retaining the green colour which looks so refreshing.
Now keep on frying further 4-5 mints at med-high flame. Add in jarred pasta sauce. Add about a cup of water. Cover the saucepan and let it simmer till all the vegetables are bare minimum cooked. Personally I don’t like overcooked vegetables with pasta recipes. Vegetables should be crunchy and yet not over cooked as for the correct texture is concerned.
Adjust the seasonings-red pepper powder, add it to give nice kick to the recipe, otherwise skip it.
Add in salt, and dried oregano. If you wish you may add just a tsp of butter to further make a smooth sauce.
Add this prepared sauce to the cooked penne pasta. Mix well. At the time of serving add in crumbled cheese or paneer or the mozzarella cheese.Sometimes I do like to sprinkle red chilly flakes and extra dried herbs for even more added flavours.

Updated on 03/05/12  to send this across for Susan's  Black and White Wednesday's, and more details here , guest hosted for this week  by Siri....

Serve and Enjoy.......

Happy Cooking Friends