Creamy Cheesy Pasta

Pasta is a meal I usually make when I am totally not in the mood to cook. "White Pasta" was the choice of the day. I wanted to make sure it had some veggies to make the mother in me happy.

A little bit of chopping and some bit of stirring and this yummy dish is all ready. What makes it special is the addition of roasted vegetables. And the biggest plus - my kids absolutely loved it and polished off their plates :)

For the calorie conscious, please keep yourself miles away from this dish !!!

You need:

• 1 small head broccoli cut into flowerets
• I medium carrot small diced
• 4 baby corns quartered lengthwise and cut into 1" pieces
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 1/2 small capsicum small diced (I used green and red capsicum)
• 1 pod garlic finely chopped or grated
• 1/2 cup packed grated cheese (I used processed cheese)
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3 cups boiled pasta of your choice
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Pepper
• Salt

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180degrees C.
• Toss the broccoli, baby corn and carrots in a baking tray with 1 tbsp olive oil and a little bit of salt. Place it in the middle rack of the oven and roast it for about 25-30 minutes.
• In a pan, heat the remaining olive oil. Add the garlic and stir for about 20-30 seconds. Add the onions and stir till slightly brown. Add the capsicum and stir for about 2 minutes. 
• Add the milk and cheese and stir well till the cheese melts.
• Season with pepper and add the roasted vegetables.
• Add the boiled pasta and mix well.
• Serve warm.

Notes:

• You can stir fry the veggies in the pan before adding the milk and cheese.
• You can add a handful of peas and sweet corn along with the capsicum.
• I did not need to add any additional salt as the cheese was salty enough.
• You can use any pasta of your choice.
• You can substitute the milk with 1/2 cup cream and 1/4 cup milk for a richer and creamier taste.
• Add some dried herbs of your choice if your children like it.

Roasted Red Capsicum and Tomato Soup

I wanted to make a quick and easy dinner. The first thing that came to my mind was soup.

I then looked into the refrigerator to see what vegetables I had. Red capsicum and tomatoes. Sounded delicious. I decided to roast the vegetables before making the soup. And it was totally delicious.

You need:

• 3 medium red capsicums
• 6 medium tomatoes
• 3 medium onions
• 1.5 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• Salt
• 3-4 tbsp olive oil
• Grated cheese for garnishing

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180degrees C.
• Wash the vegetables well. Quarter the tomatoes and the red pepper. Halve the onions and then cut them into three pieces.

• Arrange them on a baking tray. Drizzle half of the olive oil over it and sprinkle the garlic salt.
• Bake for 20 mins. Turn the vegetables over and bake for another 20-25 mins until well roasted.
• Purée the roasted vegetables once cooled.
• Strain the purée and add water for desired consistency.
• Add the remaining olive oil and sugar. Season with salt as required. Heat till it boils.
• Serve hot with grated cheese and warm bread.

Notes:

• You could use a pod of garlic instead of garlic salt. Add it to the vegetables during the last 15 minutes of roasting in the oven.
• You could add 1/4 cup cream or milk for a rich taste.
• You could also use the purée as a dip. It is thick and creamy and would go well with pita bread, crackers or tortilla chips.

Roasted Vegetable Minestrone Soup

As a family since we all love soups, I often try to make a meal out of it. I read this recipe on The Pioneer Woman Cooks and I knew I just had to try it out.

You need:

• 1 zucchini
• 2 med carrots
• 2 med onions
• 2 sticks of celery with leaves
• 1/2 cup frozen or fresh corn
• 3 tomatoes - peeled, deseeded and chopped fine
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 500ml water + more
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
• Olive oil
• Pasta - any small shape (I used about 3 hand full of dried small macaroni)

For Garnish:

• Cheese Shavings

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 240 degrees C.
• Dice the zucchini, carrots and 1 onion. 
• Mix with a tbsp of olive oil, salt and dried herbs and spread on a baking sheet.
• Place in the oven for about 15 mins. Let it brown slightly.
• Finely chop the other onion.
• Add 1 tbsp of olive oil in a thick bottom pot and sauté the onions for a minute.
• Then add the finely chopped celery and sauté for another minute.
• Add 500 ml of water and bring to a boil. Add salt as required.
• When it boils, add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste and allow it to boil for a few minutes.
• Add the required quantity of pasta and let it boil for a few minutes. Add more water if required. Add salt and pepper as per taste.
• When the pasta is about 90% cooked, add the roasted vegetables and take off the heat.

Serve hot with cheese shavings and bread.

Notes:

• Substitute the water with vegetable / chicken broth for a richer taste.
• Add two handfuls of cooked chick peas along with the celery and let boil.
• Add chopped mushrooms with the celery. I skipped it as I am not too fond of mushrooms.