Pasta with Bacon and White Beans

My friend Cassie recently posted this recipe for Pasta with Chicken, Bacon and White Beans. I used to think beans and pasta were an odd combination but now I know better. Since I already had two other chicken dishes on my weekly menu I decided to just omit the chicken from her recipe.

SP thought I'd already made this dish. He was thinking about this pasta with sausage, white beans and mascarpone, which is very similar. Needless to say this was a big hit at our house. Baby Girl was sneaking beans out of the strainer as I was cooking and anything with pasta is always a hit. 

Since SP didn't need lunch the next day I only used 1/2 lb of pasta but kept the rest of the ingredient amounts the same. It was plenty of food for both of us, especially with a veggie side. I happened to have 8oz of campanelle pasta in the pantry so that's what I used, but any short-cut pasta is fine. I have both rosemary and basil growing in my backyard, but my basil plant is out of control so I subbed basil for the rosemary. Either would work great. Even thyme would be delicious. This is a great pantry meal. Thanks Cassie! 

Pasta with Bacon and White Beans

Modified from Cassie Craves

1/2 pound penne or other short pasta

6 slices bacon, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 can cannellini beans, drained

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup half and half 

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente; drain.

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Add the garlic and beans; stir for 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken stock and half and half. Cook until thickened. Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Off heat add the Parmesan cheese and basil. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

Tags:Pasta,Bacon,White Beans

Pasta in avocado sauce with chickpeas and spinach

his pasta dish is again a story of how to keep everyone happy. The hubs is a BIG avocado fan, me and kiddo - not so much. Pasta however is liked a lot by kiddo.
The sauce is the highlight in this pasta preparation. It is not your regular creamy cheese laden sauce but instead a healthier and tastier alternate with all the goodness of avocado and spinach. The richness of the Avocado lends the perfect amount of creaminess to the pasta and not to mention the beautiful and appetizing green color. If you are already an avocado fan you are in for a treat, if not, you just might turn into one.
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Pasta in Roasted Mushroom Garlic sauce with Green Peas

have a met a lot of pasta lovers and very few haters - as far as I am concerned I am neutral - I don't hate it neither is it one of my most favorite. My daughter on the other hand (who is fussiest eater around) is notorious for her love of pasta. Even her preschool teacher complains she doesn't eat anything but pasta. She even went on to suggest we change her menu plan to pasta everyday at school! Hubby well- he is not fond of pasta- so the scene at home is I make pasta mac'n cheese to be precise almost every single day at home for the kiddo but never really make pasta for ourselves. That probably is the reason why I have only a couple of pasta dishes on the site. We don't even order a pasta dish when we go out to eat. Last Sunday evening I was in no mood to cook two separate meals for us so I tried to make hubby like the pasta by making this dish with lots of earthy mushroom and garlicky flavor - hubby loved it and even the kiddo enjoyed it.

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Penne in Tandoori Red Pepper Walnut Sauce with Mushroom and Peas

have a met a lot of pasta lovers and very few haters - as far as I am concerned I am neutral - I don't hate it neither it is one of my most favorite. My daughter on the other hand (who is fussiest eater around) is notorious for her love of pasta. Even her preschool teacher complains she doesn't eat anything but pasta. She even went on to suggest we change her menu plan to pasta everyday at school! Hubby well- he is not fond of pasta- so the scene at home is I make pasta mac n cheese to be precise almost every single day at home for the kiddo but never really make pasta for ourselves. That probably is the reason why I have only one pasta dish on my blog. We don't even order a pasta dish when we go out to eat. Last Sunday evening I was in no mood to cook two seperate meals for us so I tried to make hubby like the pasta by making this dish with Indian tandoori spices and roasted bell pepper sauce - hubby loved it and even the kiddo enjoyed a more adult version with mushrooms and peas. When I started making it, the only thing I knew was that I wanted a tandoori flavored pasta. I decided on other ingredients as I went along. My head mostly went like - hey why not add some basil, how about some walnuts, mushrooms are always welcome and peppers and peas of course... you get the idea. The al-dente pasta with the unmistakable flavors of the tandoori masala in the yummy red pepper sauce with basil and the perfect bite of peas and mushrooms to keep things interesting texturally.

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Macaroni Khichdi

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cups Elbow Macaroni
1/2 Cup Pigeon Peas / Toovar Dal
1 Medium Onion (finely chopped)
1 Large Tomato (finely chopped)
2 Cups Mixed Vegetables (Cauliflower, Green peas, Green Beans, Carrots)
1 Tbsp Ginger & Garlic paste
3 Green Chillies
2 Sprig Curry leafs
Fist Full Coriander leafs
1 Tsp Chilly Powder
1 Tsp Coriander Powder
1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tsp Cumin Seeds
3 Pods Cardamom
4 Cloves
1 Inch Cinnamon
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese (Shredded)
Asafoetida a pinch
3 Tsp Clarified Butter
Few Drops Lime Juice
1 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste.

Lets Prepare:

1. Cook the macaroni al-dente drain and reserve in a bowl.
2. Steam or boil the mixed vegetables and reserve in a bowl.
3. Wash the dal add 1 1/2 cups of water and cook the dal in a pressure cooker till well done.
4. Heat a heavy bottom Wok or a Pan use nonstick if possible add oil and clarified butter add the cumin and spices  allow to splutter a bit  add the ginger garlic paste along with the curry leafs stir and fry a bit add the onion, tomato and chillies  add a pinch of asafoetida stir and fry till the onion and tomato sofens a bit add the chilly powder, coriander powder and the turmeric powder to the tomato stir and fry a bit add the dal stir well add the vegetables and salt stir well check and if needed add 1 cup water cover allow to boil.
5. Add the coriander to the boiling veges stir add the cooked macaroni stir check for salt add if needed sprinkle the shredded cheese on top cover for few minutes serve hot once the cheese melts....serve hot with raita...Enjoy...:)

I totally came up with this recipe one day we had lot of boiled veges and cooked leftover dal at home i came up with this recipe every one appreciate my new recipe at home and planned to share my new recipe on blog kids will like this for sure try it out post your comments.

I done detail demo video in English do watch and Enjoy...:)

Macaroni My Style

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cups Macaroni (Elbow pasta)
• 1/2 Cup Carrots
• 1/2 Cup Spring beans
• 1 Large Onion (Cubed)
• 1/2 Cup Sweet corn
• 1/2 Cup Mushroom
• 1/2 Cup Cauliflower
• 1 Large Capsicum
• 1/2 Tsp of Ginger & Garlic (Finely Chopped)
• 2 Green Chills
• Coriander leaf (Finely chopped)
• 1 Inch Piece Cinnamon 
• 2 Cardamom pods 
• 2 Cloves
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 Tsp Ajinomoto Salt (Chinese Salt)
• 1 Tbsp Soy sauce 
• 1 Tbsp Chilly sauce
• 1 Tbsp Tomato Ketchup
• 1 Tbsp Fresh Cream
• 1 Tbsp Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 2 - 3 Tbsp Oil
• Salt to taste

Lets Prepare:

• Heat  a pot of water to boil the pasta to the water add vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt and oil and bring to a boil then add the pasta and cook as per packet instructions drain and reserve.
• Heat a wok add butter and oil fry in the finely chopped ginger and garlic tip in the onion fry add the bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom fry till the onion turns pink in color add the beans and carrots and add 2 Tbsp water and cover for 2 to 3 mins on medium flame tip in the corn fry for another 2 mins add the cauliflower and capsicum fry everything add the chilly sauce and ketchup and add bit more water cover and allow every thing to cook for another 3 mins add the mushroom and cover for 1 more min add the cream and soy sauce and fry well add the ajinomoto and salt and fry well.
• After the masala has cooked well add the cooked pasta mix well add coriander and serve hot...Enjoy...:)

I've also done a detail video recipe do watch try the recipe yourself and post your comments...enjoy...:)

   

Pasta with sun dried tomato pesto zucchini and mushroom

hen it comes to eating her dinner, there is only a very few combinations that my 3 year old princess will eat without any fuss. Among those few, the combination of pasta, mushrooms and ketchup tops her charts. She will eat this without having to remind her over and over to pick up the fork. Let me also tell you that she has a very sophisticated palate :) and doesn't like anything that is make 'kids style'. Believe me or not, she prefers the spicy Haldiram bhujia over MacDonald's fries (yes that's right)... her pasta needs to have spices and veggies... you get the idea. Here's a recipe for a pasta dish that I had made once when I had guests over. The guests loved it and to our pleasant surprise, our little one gobbled the leftovers up.
So without any further ado, especially for all you moms out there, here is the recipe.

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