Though pasta originally belongs to Italian cuisine, it has become one of the most preferred dishes all over the world and liked by people of all age groups. Pasta actually comes in a very wide variety of shapes and sizes. One of the most preferred pasta shape enjoyed with white sauce is Penne. Pennes are most cooked in thick and creamy sauces that have bigger junks of meat and other ingredients.
While spaghetti is cooked in red sauce, Penne is preferred in white sauce. This makes it extremely delicious. The added flavors of lasagna, cheese, tomatoes, olive oil, egg, oregano and so many others make this dish all the more yummy. For people who prefer bland flavors than tangy and spicy ones, hereâs the recipe of pasta in white sauce with the real âItalianâ flavor.
Complexity Level: Basic
Time Required: 15 to 20 minutes
Estimated Cost: $2-$3
Resources required:
- A bowl of boiled pasta
- A bowl of boiled veggies of your choice
- Three tablespoons of corn flour
- A cup of milk
- A tbsp of white pepper powder
- Two tbsp of butter
- One tsp of olive oil
- Oregano to taste
- Salt to taste
Instructions:
1. Prepare the pasta:
This is the basic step to start off. Wash the pasta, pour it into water till its nicely immersed. Add salt according to your taste and boil it till it becomes soft to be eaten.
2. Cut the the veggies:
Although you can experiment and take veggies of your choice, green peas, french beans, carrots, mushrooms, parsley, and boiled chicken (if you want a non-veg pasta), is mostly preferred. These veggies do not give out their own juice and hence help keeping the white sauce flavors intact.
3. Cook the veggies:
Take a non stick pan and pour a little of olive oil. When hot, add the veggies to it. Stir fry the vegetables making sure you don’t over do it. They do not have to be crispy. Add salt to the vegetables and then the cooked pasta. Stir this for a minute or two.
4. Make the sauce:
Take a pan and add butter to it. When it melts and is hot, add the cornflour and keep stirring continuously. Not stirring can create lumps which will spoil the pasta. Now slowly keep adding water to this mixture and wait till it gets thick. Get it to the consistency you want. Add the pepper now.
5. Mix the sauce to the pasta:
Add the white sauce to the pasta. Your final touch can be the garnishing with flavors like oregano, cheese, parsley, and white pepper, according to your taste.
Frequently asked questions:
How can I make red sauce for my pasta?
Heat a little olive oil in a saucepan. Add garlic and stir. Pour in tomato paste and simmer this on low flame for 5 minutes. Now add some crushed tomatoes, tomato puree, pepper, basil leaves, salt and sugar, if you want, and stir. Now you need to cook this for quite some time. Three hours is the apt time suggested so that the sauce is well done and thick enough to make your pasta tasty.
Quick Tips:
- Adding oil to the pasta while boiling, avoids its sticking to each other.
- If, by any chance, your pasta is over cooked, make it into a lasagna. The overcooked pasta will taste better this way!
- You can increase the quantity of cheese if you like it.
Things to watch out for:
- Be careful while handling the hot dish. If you want, you can use two mittens.
- Do not mix the sauce with the pasta any earlier than 10 minutes of serving. You pasta will get soggy.
- Like the Chinese noodles, the Italian pasta should always be removed from flame before itâs 100% cooked.
