Pasta in White Sauce

Who doesnt love a bowl of cheesy hot comfort food, especially in monsoons. Why i would say all seasons. This is another of my quick to make but huge on taste recipes. Go ahead and give it a try.

Ingredients:

• Penne Pasta - 1 Cup
• Flour (Maida) - 2 Tbsp
• Finely chopped garlic - 1 Tbsp
• Finely chopped onion - 1 Medium size
• Italian seasoning
• Salt
• Pepper Powder
• Spring Onion finely chopped - 1 Tsp
• Capsicum (Green, Red, Yellow) - 1/2 Cup in total
• Milk - 1 Cup
• Water - 1/2 Cup
• Olive Oil - 2 Tbsp
• Butter - 1 Tbsp
• Grated Parmesan Cheese  - 1 cup

Method:

• In a big bowl/ pan, bring water to boil along with a teaspoon of salt. Add the Pasta and cook till its 90% cooked. It should not be too soft and mushy, but should retain a slight stiffness to it.
• Drain the water and run it under cold water. This would stop further cooking and also remove the starch. 
• Sprinkle 1/2 Tsp of oil on top and mix it well, so it does not stick to one another.
• Heat the pan with the rest of the oil and the butter and add in garlic and onion. 
• Fry them till they are translucent. 
• Add in the capsicum and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. we do not want the capsicum to lose the crunch. 
• Add in the flour and fry for a minute.
• Now, add in the milk slowly, while continuing to stir, so that no lumps are formed.
• Add in some water to loosen it up, and allow the sauce to thicken naturally.
• Add salt, pepper and Italian seasoning as per taste.
• Now mix in the cooked pasta and let it incorporate the sauce for a couple of minutes.
• Top it up with half of the grated cheese and spring onion.
• Serve hot with grated cheese and seasoning as garnish.

Note:

• For a healthier option, you may substitute maida with wheat flour (atta) and pasta with wheat pasta.
• I have added a combination of butter and olive oil. You may choose to skip butter and go only with olive oil.
• If you do not have olive oil, you can substitute it with your regular cooking oil.
• Add vegetables of choice - like broccoli, corn kernels, zucchini, cauliflower, beans, carrot, peas. Ensure that the vegetables are not cooked soft but retain a crunch.
• you can prepare the white sauce separately and store it in advance.