Creamy Red Sauce Pasta

Yummy Italian pasta with the Indian chilli spice. I don’t care what views you have on mixing Indian flavours with Italian, but this pasta was Uh-ma-zing! Like really. Skip the chicken if you want, add some chopped carrots and peas. Plus or minus. This bowl of pasta was just too good and it is super simple.

This recipe serves 4 people with 250 calories approximately. SKIP the cheese for low fat pasta giving approximately 193 calories per serving.

Here is what you’ll need:

2 cups pasta fusilli/penne

1 cup minced chicken (optional)

1 medium onion

1 large red tomato

2 tbsp tomato paste

5 cloves garlic

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp tomato ketchup

1 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp mixed Italian herbs

1 tsp red chilli powder

½ tsp black pepper powder

1/8^th cube of stock

2 tbsp cheddar cream cheese (or any other type)

Salt to taste

 Method:

1. In a large pot, bring salted water to a rolling boil and cook the pasta till al dente or firm to the bite.
2. Drain the pasta and wash it with cold water to stop further cooking.
3. In a large pot, heat the olive oil and fry the finely grated garlic till brown.
4. Add the super finely chopped onion to the oil and sauté in medium flame.
5. Meanwhile, blanch the whole tomato in hot water, peel off the skin and puree it.
6. Add the chicken mince to onions along with salt and stock.
7. Add the pureed tomato and cook the chicken in the sauce.
8. Add the tomato paste and ketchup.
9. Sprinkle the oregano and mixed Italian herbs along with red chili powder and black pepper.
10. Once the tomato sauce is prepared, add the cooked pasta and mix well.
11. Mix in the cheese along with a couple of tbsp of water and stir till all the pasta is coated well.
12. Serve hot with olives.

Recipe by Zohra Sada