Pasta in White Sauce

Pasta is a favorite among people of all ages. Some people prefer the creamy pasta in white sauce over the tangy pasta in red sauce. White sauce is also known as Alfredo sauce and is big hit among people who especially love cheese.


Ingredients :

To make white sauce (Alfredo Sauce):
2 tbspns butter
2 tbspns all purpose flour (Maida) or Corn flour
2 cups milk
1 cup water
1/2 cup fresh cream
1/2 cup processed cheese 
1/4 tspn white pepper powder
Salt to taste

To cook Pasta :
1 cup Pasta [Any]
2 tspns salt
2 tspns oil
5-6 cups boiling water
Olive Oil to drizzle

To make pasta :
1 tbspn olive oil or butter
1 tspn fresh garlic paste
7-8 boiled and vertically babycorns corn
1/2 each vertically chopped red and yellow Bell peppers 
1/2 tspn pepper powder (preferably white)
1/4 tspn mixed herbs
White sauce (as above)
Boiled pasta (as above)
3-4 tbspns grated processed cheese
Salt to taste

For Garnishing :
Grated processed cheese
Basil leaves

Method :

To make White sauce (Alfredo sauce) :
Heat butter in a pan. Once butter starts melting add All Purpose Flour (Maida) and reduce the flame. Saute till it starts releasing butter from the sides of the pan. Then add milk and stir continuously so that no lumps are formed. Then add a cup of water and cook the sauce till the mixture is thick and it starts bubbling. Lastly add fresh cream, grated processed cheese, pepper powder and salt to taste. Cook further for a minute or so. Switch off the flame and transfer it into a bowl for using it in pasta. 

To cook pasta :
Heat 5-6 cups water in a deep pan. Then add salt and oil into the boiling water. Once the water starts boiling, add pasta into it. Cook till the is pasta soft. After cooking, drain out the excess water from pasta by transferring it into a colander. Drizzle some olive oil over the cooked pasta so that it does not become sticky. Set it aside.

To make Pasta :
Heat butter in a pan. Once butter starts melting add garlic paste. Then add blanched baby-corns and again saute it for a minute. Once the baby-borns are sauteed, stir in the bell peppers. Season the mixture with pepper powder, dried mixed herbs and salt to taste. Mix white sauce, cooked pasta and grated cheese into the mixture. Cook it for a minute or two. 

Serve hot by garnishing it with basil leaves and grated processed cheese.

Notes :
Garlic paste can also be added while making the white sauce
Instructions given above for cooking pasta can be modified and instructions given on the pasta packet can be considered.

Stepwise Pictures :

Sending this entry to Chandrani's first event Colourful Holi

Pasta in Red Sauce

While shopping at Hypercity I came across section of international food and I saw packet of various pastas. Till now, I have cooked only 'ready to make pasta'. So I picked whole wheat fussili (I am always confused between 'rotini' and  'fussili') and tried this home-made pasta.

Ingredients :

Pasta Cooking :
1 cup Whole wheat pasta [I used Fussili]
2 tspns salt
5-6 cups boiling water

To make red sauce :
6 medium sized tomatoes
1/4 green capsicum chopped in squares
1/4 red bell pepper chopped in squares
1/4 yellow bell pepper chopped in squares
6-8 blanched broccoli florets
1 finely chopped large sized onion
1 tbspn vegetable oil and 2 tbspns butter  (Or 3 tbspns olive oil)
3-4 garlic cloves - finely choped
1/2 tspn oregano
1/2 tspn black pepper powder (I used fresh green pepper)
1 tspn mix herbs
2-3 tbspns tomato ketchup
7-8 finely chopped basil leaves
Salt to taste

For Garnishing :
Grated parmesan cheese

Preparation :

To cook pasta :
Heat 5-6 cups water in a deep pan
Add 2 tspns salt into the boiling water
Add pasta in the boiling water
Cook till it is soft
Drain out the water from pasta
Pour cold water over it so that cooking process is stopped
(Drizzle some oil over it if you feel that it is becoming sticky)
Set it aside

To make tomato puree :
Heat 8-10 cups of water in a deep vessel
Give a small prick to tomatoes and put them into boiling water
Let it boil in hot water for 4-5 minutes
Remove it from hot water and immediately pour cold water over the tomatoes
Now remove the skin of tomaotes
Take two tomatoes and cut it into pieces
Blend the balance tomatoes into puree

To make pasta red sauce :
Heat oil in a pan
Once oil is heated add chopped garlic and  chopped onions
Cook for 2 minutes
Then add chopped blanched tomatoes
Saute it for a minute on high flame
Lower the flame and add green capsicum pieces
Cook it for 3-4 minutes on medium flame
Then add tomato puree into the mixture
Add Mix herbs,  Oregano, fresh green pepper, basil leaves, tomato ketchup and salt
Also add blanched broccoli, yellow and red bell peppers to the sauce
Mix it well and cook for further 2 minutes
Then add cooked pasta into it
Coat pasta with the sauce
Top it with grated parmesan cheese
Serve hot

Notes :

1. While cooking pasta, the instructions given on packet should also be considered and modify the process of cooking given here should be modified to that extent.

2. The green capsicum should not be overcooked.
3. Pasta should be served with Garlic bread and / or fresh vegetable salad
4. In my opinion cheese should be avoided in red pasta, as it takes away the tangy taste.

Stepwise Pictures :