Food blogger Manasi Sadarangani makes an easy, healthy, pasta for beginnners that would take just half an hour to put together.

Spinach and Veggie Pasta

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 2 cups finely chopped, fresh palak or spinach
• 250 gm uncooked penne (tube), or alternately fusilli (spiral), conchiglie (shell), macaroni or farfalle (bow)
• 2-3 pods garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup milk + 5 tsp extra
• 2 tsp soy sauce + 2 tsp Szechuan sauce + 1 tbsp or less tomato ketchup
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise 
• 1 cup assorted chopped vegetables of your choice, like shredded cabbage, halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced carrots, thinly sliced red, yellow or green capsicum, corn kernels
• ½ tsp oregano flakes
• 1 tsp chilly flakes, optional (Szechuan sauce will already add spice)
• Salt as per taste
• Dash of pepper
• Grated cheese for garnish
• Black raisins for garnish, optional
• 2 tbsp oil

Method

• Boil pasta al dente -- not too soft. Al dente means 'to the tooth' or pasta that has a bite to it.
  Packets of pasta usually have their cooking time listed on them. To make a pasta al dente, subtract one minute or 1.5 minutes from the cooking time.
  Drain the pasta in a channi or colander that you have kept already ready in the sink or over a pot.
  Run it under cool water. Keep aside.
• Blanch the spinach by lightly cooking without water, over low heat, in a pot or alternately steam it.
  Grind the cooled, blanched spinach in a blender along with the ½ cup milk and mayonnaise.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
  Add the minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
  Add the onion and saute till it turns golden brown.
  Add the spinach puree and salt and pepper.
  Saute for about 2-3 minutes.
  Add the 5 tsp milk and stir.
  Add the chopped vegetables.
  Saute for a few minutes till vegetables are cooked, but not too soft.
  If using cabbage add at the very end or it gets too limp.
  Add the boiled pasta and give the mixture a toss.
  Add the sauces and again toss till pasta is well coated.
  Take off heat and transfer the pasta into a bowl.
  Garnish with grated cheese, chilly flakes, oregano and, if you prefer, black raisins.
  Serve warm.

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