Penne Pasta with assorted vegetables

Its was getting cold and rainy  and what better way to beat this than a Pasta dinner. This is a  rich and warm Pasta dish for such cozy and warmer moments of life.  I wanted to make our pasta dinner healthy and I ended up with this version of Pasta dish which was so yummilicious . This recipe is all about bringing in the various textures and aromatics. Meaty mushrooms and sausage add a rich and hearty taste to this dish.  I wasn’t sure this pasta was blog-worthy until I tried my reheated leftovers. They were amazing. 




This is a classic pasta dish - tomatoes with creamy mozzarella and fresh basil. Herbs and onions add extra depth of flavour. Perfectly-cooked Penne and richly flavoured tomato sauce come across as a heavenly match.

Pasta is a staple food of traditional Italian cuisine.  Pasta is generally a simple dish, but comes in large varieties because it is a versatile food item. Some pasta dishes are served as a first course in Italy because the portion sizes are small and simple. The servings are usually accompanied by a side of meat. Pasta is also prepared in light lunches, such as salads or large portion sizes for dinner. It can be prepared by hand or food processor and served hot or cold. Pasta sauces vary in taste, color and texture. When choosing which type of pasta and sauce to serve together, there is a general rule that must be observed.For a detailed knowledge do click on the link below.

http://www.chowhound.com/assets/2009/03/pasta_chart.pdf

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 5 to 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
• 1 cup Assorted Vegetables like baby corn, mushrooms, Cauliflower, Green, Red and Yellow Bell Pepper
• 2 tbsp red sauce
• 1/2 cup  chicken sausages
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• pinch of sugar 
• 1 tsp Basil
• 1 tsp Oregano

To serve

• 400g Penne Pasta, cooked according to packet instructions
• 150g Italian mozzarella 

• Heat the water in the pan on high flame, when water starts boiling add pasta and salt. Check pasta continuously. It’s become soft and tender within 15 minutes. Press and check the pasta’s softness means it’s become well-cooked not over-cook or under-cook. Drain the water from the pasta and wash it with cold water and toss with little olive oil.

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• Heat the pan on medium flame with few drops of olive oil and sauté onion for 2 minutes, when onion look little transparent pinkish color add roughly chopped tomatoes and sauté until cook completely and look like sauce , add ground pepper ,tomato sauce and all spices. Mix well and sauté for 2 minutes. Remove pan from the fire and keep aside to cool.

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• Heat the oil in a wide frying pan over a gentle heat.Add the basil. Oregano, chopped garlic and onions and fry gently, stirring frequently, until translucent. They should be softened and not browned. Add the cherry tomatoes and the vegetables .Add salt and freshly ground black pepper, sugar . Cook till the vegetables are cooked but retains its crunchiness. In another pan, add a 1 tsp of Butter and slightly fry the sausages. Take from heat and add to the vegetables.

• Add  red sauce and stir. Taste for seasoning and add salt and freshly ground black pepper if necessary.

• Serve with mozzarella and basil on tops.

Sending this dish to 6th Foodie Monday Bloghop theme....PASTA..