Cooking good food which is delicious and healthy is what always comes to my mind when creating a new recipe. I love making Pasta dishes! They are entirely different from my usual Indian style of cooking, pretty easy and a comfort food that you can cook effortlessly and chill, just right for you weeknight dinner & gatherings.

Since my husband is not a big fan of tomato based pasta, I tend to find alternatives or cook something which is white sauce based. This time I wanted to totally get rid of the sauce and experiment baking. The baked version enhances the pasta to another level; full of flavour, the upper crust turning crispy and brown, juicy and cheesy inside… it’s a total package. On a healthier note, I have used whole wheat pasta for this recipe. You can use any vegetables of your choice; mushrooms are my favourite and I have also used broccoli and bell peppers. Finally layering with Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, it helps to complement the lack of sauce thereby making it juicy and not dry.

The key to this dish’s perfection is the cooking of the pasta and not allowing it to dry. Cook the pasta just to al dente and then mix & bake with the other ingredients for another 30 minutes; of course, you wouldn’t want to serve under or over cooked pasta. Mixing it with red or white sauce (marinara or béchamel ) is also optional to make it gooey and juicy inside.

Now how can you make this recipe even more interesting? You can customize it with your favourite veggies, protein or even mix with sauces of your choice. I’ll try them out soon, but I’m damn sure that you would love all those variations.

Enjoy, Happy Cooking!!!

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Prep time: 30-45 minutes
Serves: 2 – 3 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz whole wheat pasta (or pasta of your choice)
• 3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
• 1cup broccoli florets
• 1 cup bell peppers (sliced)
• 1 cup mushrooms (sliced)
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese (grated)
• 1 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
• 1 tbsp butter
• Freshly chopped parsley leaves (optional)
• salt as required
• pepper as required
• olive oil as required

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook pasta as per package instructions to al dente. Drain it and toss with olive oil to prevent sticking.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Heat butter in a pan on a medium flame, add chopped garlic and saute for a while until tender and its aroma emanates.
4. Add mushrooms, broccoli, bell peppers, salt and pepper, mix well and close the lid to cook for 5 minutes. Toss the pasta into the pan and stir to combine well.
5. In an iron skillet or any oven safe dish, grease with olive oil. Layer the pasta in batches, adding grated mozzarella and parmesan cheese in-between. Top with extra parmesan cheese and freshly chopped parsley leaves (optional).
6. Bake for 30 minutes until the cheese melts and the upper crust turns lightly crispy & brown. Serve hot.

Interested in more Pasta recipes? Check these out:

Chicken Pasta with White Sauce

Spaghetti with Garlic, Mushroom & Peas

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