WOYP Day #68 Quick & Easy Minestrone

 

We’ve had cooler days and a lot of rain these past couple of weeks and I feel Fall is coming too early! This year sees to have whooshed by.. can’t believe we are already halfway through September!!

It was pouring cats and dogs all day today and all I could think of was Soup!! My first choice was this Tomato soup but then I began to crave something more filling and hearty…in comes a family fav.. Minestrone! This is my only soup of choice whenever I visit Olive Garden.

I couldn’t thank my stars enough for making me pick up Zucchini & Spinach on my grocery run yesterday, Minestrone today was meant to be haha! And I’m always stocked on canned beans so this was easy peasy. You also get a fair share of veggies and carbs, all in one big comforting bowl...yumm!

You will need:

2 tbsp Olive oil (I use extra-virgin)
4 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into small cubes
1/2 Red onion, chopped (can use yellow or white onion)
1/2 cup Green beans, cut into 1” pieces (or smaller)
1 (8oz) can Red Kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 large Roma tomatoes, cubed
2 large handfuls of fresh spinach, washed
1/2 cup Zucchini, cut into thin discs
1/2 cup Macaroni pasta (or any small pasta)
Salt to taste
1 tsp dried Oregano
1/2 tsp Black pepper
Water as needed (or Vegetable stock if available)

Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Usually the pasta is cooked along with the rest of the ingredients but to speed things up I had the pasta cooking on one burner while I sautéed veggies on another burner.  Two pots I know, but I really needed this soup quick! :D I cooked the pasta only for 8 minutes in salted boiling water since the pasta will continue to cook in the soup. You don’t want over cooked mushy pasta!! Save the pasta water to thin the soup out. 

Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the chopped garlic and cook for 30 seconds, taking care not to burn it. Add the chopped carrots and onions. Saute until onions are soft. Now add the green beans (I used frozen) and cubed tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes are soft. Now stir in the red kidney beans and zucchini. Cook for a minute, then add plain water and pasta water (or vegetable stock) as needed and the cooked pasta. Season with salt to taste, pepper and the oregano. Remember the pasta water has salt too, so check for salt before adding more. Combine and bring to a rolling bowl on medium heat. Lower heat and simmer for 6-7 minutes. Lastly stir in the spinach and turn off heat. The hot soup will cook the spinach. 

 

 

Ladle into bowls and top with parmesan cheese if using. Serve warm. This was soooo comforting and perfect for the rainy evening. Enjoyed every bit of it though I did miss the Garlic breadsticks to dunk in the soup, hmmm that is for another day! :D 

Another version of the Minestrone here.

What's on Your Plate? Day #18 Baked Marinara Mac & Cheese and Cheesy Garlic toasts

I make pasta pretty often considering 3 out of the 4 of us love it. Its a no fuss dinner and pair it with Garlic toasts and all of a sudden my kids crown me the best mom in the whole wide world!! :D I mostly use home-made Basil Walnut Pesto but we are still waiting on our Basil plants to grow so I made a Marinara cream sauce and also snuck in a few veggies so its not all cheese in there. If your kids are picky about that you can make an only cheese version. This is also a good variation from the usual Mac. 

Baked Marinara Mac & Cheese:  

You will need:

2 cups elbow pasta
2 quarts water
2 tbsp Oil
3 pods Garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped Onion
1/4 cup chopped Bell pepper
1/2 cup Tomato- Basil Marinara sauce (from a jar)
1/4 cup Heavy cream
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Black pepper powder
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar
1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella plus 1/4 cup
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs

Bring the water to a rolling boil. Generously salt that water and drop in the pasta Stir and cook for 10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup water and drain the remaining. Set aside the pasta.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Heat oil in a pan. When its hot, add the chopped garlic and bell pepper. Sauté until the bell peppers are almost done and then add the chopped onions. Sauté until onions are soft. Stir in the marinara and bring to a simmering boil. Season with salt to taste and pepper powder.Add the cream and the reserved water. Combine and add the drained pasta. Add more marinara if needed. Stir in the grated cheeses and give a quick toss. 

Lightly butter an oven safe baking dish. Melt the butter in a small bowl. Add the  parmesan and bread crumbs and stir to combine. Transfer prepared pasta into prepared baking dish. Top with the bread crumb mixture. Lastly top with the remaining 1/4 cup of Mozzarella. Bake for 12 minutes until the top is lightly crisp and browned. Serve warm.

Cheesy Garlic Toasts:

For this you can use a French Baguette or regular slices of bread. I had plain white bread and used that. 

You will need:
6 slices white bread
1 tbsp Mayonnaise
2 tbsp unsalted Butter, softened
2 pods Garlic, minced
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Red chilli flakes
1/4 tsp dried Oregano
1/3 cup grated Mozzarella

Preheat oven to 425F.

In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, softened butter, minced garlic and salt. Spread evenly on each slice. Top with Mozzarella and a pinch of oregano and chili flakes. 

Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 6-8 minutes until the top is nice and bubbly and the bread is crisp. Cut into triangles and serve. 

The toasts were gone in minutes and so was the Pasta! :) 

Rigatoni with Basil Pesto and Caramalized Onions

Last night was Pasta night again. Whenever hubby travels on work, I get a chance to experiment with various pasta dishes. I'd rather be the guinea pig first before serving it to any one else :) 

Time spent in the kitchen yielded good results. Basil Pesto finds its way into a lot of my dishes in more than one way, so I always make a large batch and freeze them in portions for later use. Its usually made using Pine nuts, but I prefer to make it with walnuts, tastes different and better too in my opinion.

You will need:

1/2 lb Rigatoni

¼ cup prepared Basil Pesto

1 tomato chopped

1 Onion thinly sliced

2 tbsp Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp grated Parmesan, to top

Bring a pot of water to boil. Salt the water and then add the Rigatoni. Stir and cook for 12 minutes until pasta is done.

While the pasta cooks, heat a pan with olive oil. Add the thinly sliced onions and sauté on medium high heat. When the sides begin to brown, lower heat and continue to cook until the onions are very soft and golden brown. Turn off heat, add the tomatoes, pesto, drained pasta, salt and pepper. Toss to combine and coat the pasta with pesto.

Top with the parmesan and serve warm.

Voila! Nothing fancy but enough to have you going back for seconds.Enjoy!

Veggie Lasagna in a Thyme Sauce

I don't want to start another post talking about the weather,but I do think its a good way to start by letting you all know what's happening in our part of the world. So on that note, the weather has been pretty finicky here...sometimes cold and sometimes very pleasant like today. There, I did it again!! :D The weather..oh weather!

Now back to the food. Every time we go to an Italian restaurant, I wish I could have the Lasagna -- probably the one dish I haven't tried in a restaurant since it contains meat. And having been to a lot of Italian restaurants, I know there is no Veggie Lasagna out there. That kinda motivates me to make Lasagna at home with my own "loaded with veggies" sauce. The first time I made Veggie Lasagna was for the DB challenge several months ago. That was with made from scratch pasta, but this time I just took the easy way out and used store bought dry pasta. The sauce is chunkier with more veggies and white beans. Fresh Thyme makes the Lasagna taste and smell wonderful.

You will need:

For the Thyme Vegetable Sauce:

3 tbsp Olive oil

1 Red onion, cubed

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Green bell pepper, cubed

½ cup Sliced Mushrooms

½ cup diced Carrots

½ cup Frozen Peas, thawed

2 tsp Red chilli flakes ( adj to taste)

2 cups store-bought marinara sauce

4 stems fresh thyme, about 2 tbsp (leaves)

1 cup canned White beans, drained and rinsed

Salt to taste

For the Lasagna:

6-8 lasagna sheets from a box

Bechamel sauce (recipe follows)

2 cups shredded Mozzarella

¼ cup grated Parmesan

Bring a pot of water to boil the lasagna sheets in. Salt the water and drop in the sheets. Stir and let cook for 8 minutes. Drain and reserve.

While the pasta cooks, prepare the vegetable sauce. Heat olive oil in a pan. Add the garlic and chopped onion. Saute till onions are soft. Add the bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots and peas. Cook on low heat till all the veggies are done. Add the chilli flakes, fresh thyme and cook till the thyme is fragrant, about a minute. Stir in the marinara sauce and the drained white beans. Add ½ cup of water and bring the sauce to a boil on medium heat. Season with salt. Turn off heat.

Bechamel Sauce:

A few months ago one of the Daring Baker challenges was Spinach Pasta made from scratch and used in a Lasagna. I chose to make the same Bechamel sauce because it tasted great. The sauce adds a whole lot of flavour and makes the entire lasagna irresistible…really!

You will need:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons All purpose flour

1 & 1/3 cups (approx 570ml) milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat. Sift over the flour, whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for about 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth. Bring to a slow simmer, and stir 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg.

Assembling the Lasagna:

Take an 8x8 inch glass pan. Preheat oven to 400F. Place a layer of lasagna sheets, about 3, side by side. Spread about two tablespoons of the Bechamel sauce on top. Sprinkle with about a teaspoon of grated Parmesan. Spread about ¼ cup of vegetable sauce. Repeat the layers – lasagna sheets, Béchamel sauce, Parmesan and Vegetable sauce. The top most layer should be lasagna sheets.Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and top off with shredded mozzarella.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is bubbly .Let sit for a few minutes before serving.

Three herb Farfalle in a Creamy sauce

The hubby and I are in Worcester, MA on his work travel. The weather back in Atlanta was gloomy and rainy when I left and I was hoping the weather here would be better...but nah, looks like the Rain Gods and the gloomy clouds followed me all the way here. I've been pretty much stuck in my room; its cold outside!! Summer is almost over...ugh..!

Now that I'm done ranting about the weather, its time for a pasta dish to brighten my mood (and hopefully yours too!)


I love Alfredo sauce...the thick creamy fatty goodness ...ya ya not 'healthy' in the least, but hey, once in a while is ok right? Well it is, atleast according to me :) And if its home-made then its definitely ok!


Alfredo is a white sauce typically used in pasta dishes. Traditionally its made using butter, heavy cream and parmesan. In the past I've had major disasters while making Alfredo at home -- too 'floury', too buttery, too thin...but we all learn from our mistakes and this time around I whipped up my own version of the classic Alfredo, and thankfully it turned out right. I left out the Butter and Parmesan, instead added the flour to thicken the sauce and give it some body.



You will need:

2 Cups dried Farfalle (Bow-tie pasta)
2 tsp Olive oil
1 tsp Minced garlic
1 Red bell pepper, cut into strips
½ onion, thinly sliced

For the Creamy Sauce:
1 tbsp Flour
½ cup Heavy cream
½ cup Milk, at room temp
½ tsp Dried Oregano
½ tsp Dried Basil
½ tsp Dried Thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
A dash of nutmeg

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Season with salt and then add the pasta. Cook for 12 minutes or more, depending on how well done you like your pasta.

Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the minced garlic, sliced onions and red bell pepper. Saute till the veggies are soft.

Sprinkle the tablespoon of flour over the veggies and cook on low heat for a minute or two, while stirring continuously to prevent the flour from turning too brown or burning. Now add the milk and cream. Stir and continue cooking till the sauce begins to boil. Season with salt and pepper,nutmeg and also add the herbs. Reduce heat and simmer till the sauce reduces and thickens, about 3-4 mins.


Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat evenly with the sauce. Turn off heat and serve.

I wish I could have some of the pasta now, while I sit and stare at my take out 'lunch'...sigh!

Spaghetti with a kick

I have friends who just can’t bear to eat Pasta – reason: it’s bland! Hubby is not big on pasta either unless it’s seasoned and flavoured well. I tried this last week and he was pleased.This is for all my friends out there who hate pasta, try this and I’m sure you will be having second thoughts about Pasta.

You will need:

1/2 lb Spaghetti

1 tbsp Olive oil

½ cup Onion, chopped

½ cup canned Black beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup canned Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup Yellow corn, drained

1 Cup Marinara sauce (I used Roasted Garlic & Herb)

1 tsp Cumin powder

½ tsp Hot sauce (adj. to taste)

¼ cup Water

Salt to taste

1 tbsp chopped fresh Cilantro (Corriander)

2 tbsp Grated parmesan

Bring a large pot of water to boil.Salt generously and add the pasta. Cook for 13 minutes (less if you like a bite to it).

While the pasta is cooking; heat a pan with olive oil. Add the chopped onions and sauté till translucent. Stir in the marinara, cumin powder, black and red beans, corn and hot sauce. Stir and bring to a simmering boil on medium heat. Stir in ¼ cup Water to make a sauce consistency. Simmer 2 minutes and turn off.

Once the pasta is done, drain and toss with the sauce. Season with salt as required. Just before serving, sprinkle the grated parmesan and chopped cilantro on the spaghetti.

I was pleasantly surprised how well the flavours came together and made the pasta almost ‘Indianized’ if I may say so. The corn cuts the heat from the cumin and hot sauce. Its definitely a party in your mouth!

Fusilli with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

It's been busy past few days with lots of cooking for customers and baking a birthday cake. I've hardly had the time to sit down and write a post. Today has been a little more relaxing and easy going. I was in no mood to cook anything elaborate and made a pasta dish for lunch.

A jar of sun-dried tomatoes has been sitting in my refrigerator for a long time now and every time hubby peeks into the fridge, he sighs and says "when are you going to use this?". I had used a little of it for the Sun-dried Tomato Focaccia last week. I finally used a large portion of it today, and the jar is almost half empty; I made Sun-dried Tomato pesto. Goes great with just about anything...pasta, in a sandwich or even in a soup..totally jazzes up the dish.

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto :

You will need:

1 Cup Sun-dried tomato, julienned, in oil

¼ cup Dried Basil (or use 1 ½ cups fresh Basil)

½ cup Grated Parmesan

3 cloves Garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup Olive oil

Place the sun-dried tomatoes, basil, garlic, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Turn the processor on and slowly stream in the olive oil. Continue processing till the tomatoes are finely chopped. Stir in the grated parmesan. Transfer pesto to a bowl.

Fusili with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto:

You will need:

2 Cups dried Fusilli, Penne or any ridged dry pasta

1 quart water

Salt

1/2 cup prepared Sun-dried tomato pesto

Bring water to a boil. Add salt and dried pasta. Cook for 12 minutes; till pasta is done.

Drain pasta and reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the Pesto and the cooking liquid.Add more salt if required. We had the pasta with store bought Garlic bread.

Pour a thin layer of olive oil on the pesto and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Lasagna for the Daring Bakers

My love for pasta is not unknown as I have so often mentioned in many of my posts; I've always used pasta from a box and didn't find the need to make my own. I had of course, never in my wildest dreams thought that some day I would be making my very own pasta at home. And there is one pasta dish I had never tried before until yesterday and that was Lasagna. Mostly because we have never come across a vegetarian Lasagna at any restaurant; classic Lasagna comes with a meat sauce.

I was thrilled to know that March’s Challenge at the Daring Bakers was Lasagna , and the best part we had to make our own Lasagna sheets. I must say this was one challenge I was raring to start on from day one.

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.



Lasagne is a dish that has successfully transcended borders and is today made around the world, albeit with many variations from the Italian original. Even within Italy, there are many variations and each region has its own lasagne tradition. But, as Lynne explains in her introduction to the recipe –and Enza, as our Italian expert for this dish, also agrees - the dish should always be a “vivid expression of the ‘less is more’ philosophy of cooking. Mere films of béchamel sauce and meat ragu coat the sheerest spinach pasta. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese dusts each layer. There is nothing more; no ricotta, no piling on of meats, vegetables or cheese; little tomato, and no hot spice. Baking performs the final marriage of flavours. The results are splendid.”

We were allowed to make a vegetarian sauce for the Lasagna instead of the Country style Ragu. I made the Spinach Egg pasta, as was required, and also the Bechamel sauce. I also made my own version of the vegetable sauce. I halved all the recipes, my notes are in italics.

All recipes below from The Splendid Table: Recipes from Emilia-Romagna, the Heartland of Northern Italian Food by Lynne Rossetto Kasper (published by William Morrow and Company Inc., 1992).

Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna (Lasagne Verdi al Forno)
(Serves 8 to 10 as a first course, 6 to 8 as a main dish)

Preparation Time: 15 minutes to assemble and 40 minutes cooking time
10 quarts (9 litres) salted water
1 recipe Spinach Pasta cut for lasagna (recipe follows)#1
1 recipe Bechamel Sauce (recipe follows)#2
1 recipe Vegetable Sauce (recipe follows)#3
1 cup (4 ounces/125g) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano


Method
Working Ahead:
The ragu and the béchamel sauce can be made up to three days ahead. The ragu can also be frozen for up to one month. The pasta can be rolled out, cut and dried up to 24 hours before cooking. The assembled lasagne can wait at room temperature (20 degrees Celsius/68 degrees Fahrenheit) about 1 hour before baking. Do not refrigerate it before baking, as the topping of béchamel and cheese will overcook by the time the center is hot.

Assembling the Ingredients:
Have all the sauces, rewarmed gently over a medium heat, and the pasta at hand. Have a large perforated skimmer and a large bowl of cold water next to the stove. Spread a double thickness of paper towels over a large counter space. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Oil or butter a 3 quart (approx 3 litre) shallow baking dish.

Cooking the Pasta:
Bring the salted water to a boil. Drop about four pieces of pasta in the water at a time. Cook about 2 minutes. If you are using dried pasta, cook about 4 minutes, taste, and cook longer if necessary. The pasta will continue cooking during baking, so make sure it is only barely tender. Lift the lasagne from the water with a skimmer, drain, and then slip into the bowl of cold water to stop cooking. When cool, lift out and dry on the paper towels. Repeat until all the pasta is cooked.

Assembling the Lasagne:
Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange a layer of about four overlapping sheets of pasta over the béchamel. Spread a thin layer of béchamel (about 3 or 4 spoonfuls) over the pasta, and then an equally thin layer of the ragu. Sprinkle with about 1&1/2 tablespoons of the béchamel and about 1/3 cup of the cheese. Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with béchamel sauce and topping with a generous dusting of cheese (I used Mozzarella too with the Parmesan)

Baking and Serving the Lasagne:
Cover the baking dish lightly with foil, taking care not to let it touch the top of the lasagne. Bake 40 minutes, or until almost heated through. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until hot in the center (test by inserting a knife – if it comes out very warm, the dish is ready). Take care not to brown the cheese topping. It should be melted, creamy looking and barely tinged with a little gold. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and let the lasagne rest for about 10 minutes. Then serve. This is not a solid lasagne, but a moist one that slips a bit when it is cut and served.



#1 Spinach Egg Pasta (Pasta Verde)

Preparation: 45 minutes

Makes enough for 6 to 8 first course servings or 4 to 6 main course servings, equivalent to 1 pound (450g) dried boxed pasta.

I halved this recipe; used two eggs though.

2 jumbo eggs (2 ounces/60g or more)
10 ounces (300g) fresh spinach, rinsed dry, and finely chopped; or 6 ounces (170g) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3&1/2 cups (14 ounces/400g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour (organic stone ground preferred)

Working by Hand:

Equipment
--A roomy work surface, 24 to 30 inches deep by 30 to 36 inches (60cm to 77cm deep by 60cm to 92cm). Any smooth surface will do, but marble cools dough slightly, making it less flexible than desired.
--A pastry scraper and a small wooden spoon for blending the dough.
--A wooden dowel-style rolling pin. In Italy, pasta makers use one about 35 inches long and 2 inches thick (89cm long and 5cm thick). The shorter American-style pin with handles at either end can be used, but the longer it is, the easier it is to roll the pasta.
--Plastic wrap to wrap the resting dough and to cover rolled-out pasta waiting to be filled. It protects the pasta from drying out too quickly.
--A sharp chef’s knife for cutting pasta sheets.

Cloth-covered chair backs, broom handles, or specially designed pasta racks found in cookware shops for draping the pasta.

Mixing the dough:
Mound the flour in the center of your work surface and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs and spinach. Use a wooden spoon to beat together the eggs and spinach. Then gradually start incorporating shallow scrapings of flour from the sides of the well into the liquid. As you work more and more flour into the liquid, the well’s sides may collapse. Use a pastry scraper to keep the liquids from running off and to incorporate the last bits of flour into the dough. Don’t worry if it looks like a hopelessly rough and messy lump.

Kneading:
With the aid of the scraper to scoop up unruly pieces, start kneading the dough. Once it becomes a cohesive mass, use the scraper to remove any bits of hard flour on the work surface – these will make the dough lumpy. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes. Its consistency should be elastic and a little sticky. If it is too sticky to move easily, knead in a few more tablespoons of flour. Continue kneading about 10 minutes, or until the dough has become satiny, smooth, and very elastic. It will feel alive under your hands. Do not shortcut this step. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let it relax at room temperature 30 minutes to 3 hours.

Stretching and Thinning:
If using an extra-long rolling pin work with half the dough at a time. With a regular-length rolling pin, roll out a quarter of the dough at a time and keep the rest of the dough wrapped. Lightly sprinkle a large work surface with flour. The idea is to stretch the dough rather than press down and push it. Shape it into a ball and begin rolling out to form a circle, frequently turning the disc of dough a quarter turn. As it thins outs, start rolling the disc back on the pin a quarter of the way toward the center and stretching it gently sideways by running the palms of your hands over the rolled-up dough from the center of the pin outward. Unroll, turn the disc a quarter turn, and repeat. Do twice more.

Stretch and even out the center of the disc by rolling the dough a quarter of the way back on the pin. Then gently push the rolling pin away from you with one hand while holding the sheet in place on the work surface with the other hand. Repeat three more times, turning the dough a quarter turn each time.

Repeat the two processes as the disc becomes larger and thinner. The goal is a sheet of even thickness. For lasagne, the sheet should be so thin that you can clearly see your hand through it and see colours. Cut into rectangles about 4 by 8 inches (10 x 20 cm). Note: Enza says that transparency is a crucial element of lasagne pasta and the dough should be rolled as thinly as possible. She says this is why her housekeeper has such strong arms!

Dry the pasta at room temperature and store in a sealed container or bag.







#2 Bechamel
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

I halved this recipe too.

4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour, organic stone ground preferred
2&2/3 cups (approx 570ml) milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat. Sift over the flour, whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for about 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth. Bring to a slow simmer, and stir 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg.

#3 Vegetable Sauce:
Makes:3 Cups

3 tbsp Olive oil

1 Onion, chopped

3 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced

2 Carrots, diced

1 long purple eggplant, cubed

½ Green bell pepper, cubed

1 tsp Red chilli flakes

1 tsp Oregano

1 Cup store bought Marinara sauce

1 Cup Vegetable Broth

Salt to taste

Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan. Add the garlic and chopped onion and sauté till onions are soft and garlic is fragrant. Add the carrots, bell pepper and eggplant, cook for 8 minutes till veggies are cooked through. Season with salt. Stir in the marinara sauce and vegetable broth ;bring sauce to a simmering boil on medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes, and remove from heat. Use as required.

I topped the Lasagna with Mozzarella too to give it a little more 'cheesy'ness...we loved it! The Lasagna was great and I was very pleased that I couldn't taste the egg in the pasta, which I was worried about from the start. All the layers came through wonderfully in one bite, even the bechamel was tasty.

I'm surely making this again and again for anyone who wants to try Vegetable Lasagna! :)

Wishing all my readers a very Happy and Prosperous Ugadi!!

Basil Walnut Pesto with Gemilli Pasta

Fresh basil always makes me high…high on the intense delicious flavour, which makes me crave for more and more of it. I’ve used fresh Basil in a number of dishes before and simply can't get enough of it!

I got my first taste of Basil Pesto, when I had the Mediterranean Pizza at Scholtzky’s Deli. I thoroughly enjoyed the pesto sauce on the base and while biting into the pizza, I was making a strong mental note to find a recipe for pesto and make it asap!

So the next trip to the Farmers Market, I came back with fresh Basil. I began to look for recipes and most of them I came across called for Pine Nuts, which are pretty expensive for a small quantity. I decided to substitute it with Walnuts instead, since I had a big bag of walnuts in their shells. Basil Pesto was ready in no time!

Gemelli with Basil Walnut Pesto:

Gemelli is a dry pasta which is spiral shaped. The different shapes of pasta always fascinate me and every time I run out of pasta (yes, it happens every now and then :-D) I buy a new shape to try, just for the fun of it :) So this time it was these spiral shaped beauties.

You will need:

1 Cup Gemelli pasta
¼ Cup Basil Walnut pesto (recipe below)
Salt to taste

Boil Gemelli in a pot of salted water, till done. Drain and toss with pesto. Add salt if required. Serve hot. Additional parmesan maybe added on top before serving.

Basil Walnut Pesto:

You will need:

2 Cups packed, Fresh Basil leaves
½ Cup Walnuts, chopped
¾ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Olive Oil as required
2 cloves of Garlic, chopped

In a blender or a food processor, add chopped walnuts and pulse to break the walnuts into smaller finer bits. Now add the garlic and the basil leaves. Blend to combine. Now slowly stream in the olive oil and blend, this loosens the mixture and helps it blend smoothly. Add oil till the mixture has a paste like consistency. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the parmesan cheese. The cheese is salty so taste the pesto before adding more salt.

To store: Transfer the pesto to a clean jar, cover with a thin layer of olive oil and refrigerate if using in a few days, otherwise freeze it. Thaw before using. If frozen, it should last for 2-3 months.

Pesto can be used as a dip, tossed with pasta or even used a pizza sauce. My love for pasta is not unknown, so that is what I used the pesto for.

Gemilli with Basil Walnut Pesto is my entry to A.W.E.D Italian hosted by Dhivya at Culinary Bazaar and also to Herb Mania:Basil hosted by Dee of Ammalu's Kitchen.