Baked Multi Grain Pasta

Pasta was never my favorite. Nothing to do with its taste, but the fact that pasta was made with flour , loaded with a lot of cheese , always looked to me like a catalyst that accelerates my already unstoppabble weight gain . It always figured in my one of these undesired-easy-dinner list, until I found this multi grain pasta and learnt the perfect way of baking pasta from a friend of mine. Thanks KP, I dont think I will ever make pasta the 'unbaked' way anytime in future.

The multi grain is a blend of semolina, grain and legume flours, which are rich sources of fiber and vital

vitamins and nutrients. This instant pasta is also a good source of proteins, essential building blocks for healthy growth and strong muscles. It also has ALA Omega-3, an essential fatty acid that helps you maintain a healthy heart and metabolism. Source - product information ;)

All the goodness above in any other form will be a No-No for my kids, but this one makes them ask for more :)

INGREDIENTS

Multi grain pasta - 3 Cups.

Water (to cook pasta) - about 4 quartz.

Pasta Sauce - 3 Cups.

Ricotta Cheese / Cream cheese ** - 1/4 cup

Mozzarella cheese** - 1/2 Cup

Salt - as per taste

crushed red peppers - as per taste.

Vegetables**(Optional but recommended)

Onions - 1 Medium sized

Bell Peppers (any color/all colors) - 1 Cup cut in to strips.

Carrots - 2 med.

mushrooms - 1/4 Cup

PREPARATION : Time - 10 min.

Cook pasta as per the package instructions. Bring the water to boil and add the pasta, a pinch of salt and olive oil.

Cook it uncovered for 8-10 min or until done. Drain the pasta using a strainer and run cold water through it and set aside.

Pre-heat oven to 350 deg F.

Cut all the vegetables above except mushroom in to thin strips

COOKING METHOD :

Time - 35 min.

Heat a pan on the stove, add olive oil, once the oil is hot, add all the veggies and saute till they are almost done,add little salt and crushed peppers. sauce might have salt already, so be careful with your salt quantity.

Take a baking dish and add the pasta, add the sauted veggies on it.

Add the sauce to the same pan and add the ricotta / cream cheese and bring it to a boil.

Add the sauce to the pasta and mix it well. The quantity of the sauce should be good enough to cover the pasta well.

Top it with the mozzarella cheese and bake it uncovered at 350 deg F for 25-30 min.

Notes**

1. Adding vegetables is optional but recommended.

2. Multi grain pasta can be replaced by normal pasta.

3. I used Ragu traditional sauce since i did not have a lot of time. I'll post home made pasta sauce recipe soon.

#maincourse #healthy #baking