Vegetable Pasta In Red Sauce Recipe

 Whole grain pasta cooked with fresh seasonal vegetables in a delicious tangy tomato sauce makes a perfect treat for all the pasta lovers. This vegetable pasta in red sauce is seasoned with mixed Italian herbs , freshly crushed black pepper and red chili flakes. With a quick and simple recipe to follow, this pasta dish can be served as a light meal on a weekend evening or an after school snack. For me it is one of the best ways to feed my little one with wholesome goodness of vegetables. 

I have kept the recipe very simple and added vegetables which very handy in my pantry. I have used sweet corn, green peas, carrots and onions. You may use mushrooms, broccoli and colored bell peppers if you wish. Here i have used spiral pasta to make this dish, you may use any shape you like.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole grain spiral pasta
• 3-4 ripe tomatoes
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 carrot peeled and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup green peas
• 1/4 cup sweet corn
• 2 tablespoon ketchup (tomato sauce)
• 1-2 cheese cubes ( i have used Amul cheese cubes)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon freshly crushed black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon mixed Italian herbs
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat enough water in a sauce pan , add salt and oil to it. Once the water boils add pasta and cook it uncovered until al dente (it is soft but firm) . Keep stirring in between . Strain the cooked pasta through a colander and reserve 1 cup of the water in which the pasta is cooked.(this starchy water may be used further to thin the sauce).

2. Blanch the tomatoes , remove the skin and pulse them in a grinder jar to get a smooth puree without lumps.

                           

3. Heat butter in a pan , add onions to it. Saute them until they become translucent. Add vegetables and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.

4. Next add the tomato puree and mix well. Cook the veggies in this puree for another 1-2 minutes. Next add the ketchup followed by Italian herbs, crushed black pepper, red chili flakes, salt and stir well.

5. Next add the boiled pasta along with the reserved hot water used to cook the pasta to thin out the sauce if required. I added 1/4 cup of it. Stir well so that the pasta coats well with the sauce. Put off the flame.

6. Lastly grate the cheese cubes over the warm pasta and serve immediately.

 Notes:

For flavoring the pasta , herbs like dried oregano, thyme or basil can be used. I have used mixed herbs. In case you do not get any Italian herbs, use little fresh cilantro or mint to flavor the pasta.

Mushrooms, broccoli and colored bell peppers can be added in this dish.

If the sauce appears thick and you feel the pasta very dry , thin it with the reserved hot water we used to cook the pasta. 

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For more pasta recipes , do check out the following posts from my blog

• Penne Pasta In White Sauce

                                

• Pasta Spiral with Pesto Sauce

                                

• Elbow Macaroni with Garlic Crumbs

                                

• Spaghetti With Bell Peppers and Cream