Whole Grain Pasta with Tomato and Spinach


Ingredients

  1. 1.2 cups whole grain pasta
  2. 2-3 cloves  of garlic minced
  3. 3-4 ripe medium sized tomatoes finely chopped
  4. 1/2 onion chopped finely
  5. 1/2 cup of fresh baby spinach roughly chopped
  6. 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  7. 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder.
  8. 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning
  9. 3-4 fresh basil leaves roughly chopped
  10. Cheese for garnish
  11. 3 teaspoon Olive oil  (Vegetable oil also can be used)
  12. Salt to taste

How I Prepare
1. Take a big cook pot, add enough water and boil the water. Once the water starts boiling add some salt and add the pasta to it.  Most of the pasta boxes have the cook time it takes, follow it. I generally let it cook for 8-10 minutes and then I pick one and check it. Drain the pasta once cooked.

2. In a pan, add oil and heat it up,  add garlic and saute for 1/2 minute. Then add onions and cook it until it's translucent.

3. Add tomatoes and saute for 2-3 minutes until they are soft. Add water, pepper, chilli powder and salt as per taste. Cover the pan and let it cook for 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes are nicely smashed and the sauce is thick.

4. Add italian seasoning, spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes. Baby spinach cooks super fast. Check the taste and adjust the seasonings accordingly.

5. Add the drained pasta  and mix it well.  Then cover the pan and let it cook for 1-2 minutes.

6. Serve hot by garnishing with basil leaves and grated cheese.



Notes

1. I use whole grain pasta as a healthier option. You can use the same recipe for any pasta type u like.
2. Add 1/2 mixed bell pepper (red, green, yellow) this will add some crunch to the dish.
3. I add cheese as garnish since I am not a cheese person, but my husband is. So he gets the dish with cheese :)
4. The above dish can be fed to toddler too. Just cook pasta for 2-3 minutes more so its super soft and easy for toddlers to chew.
5. Once the pasta is cooked drain it immediately, don't leave it in water. It gets over cooked.

Tips

1. If tomato sauce is too runny, thicken it by adding some corn flour and boil it for few minutes
2. To make this recipe quicker you can use the ready made sauce available in market with different flavour. Step 3 can be omitted if u do it.

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