Jeera Spaghetti in Tomato Sauce

I am not a big fan of Italian food.
But my lil one is totally opposite :-) All the nakhras and excuses he gives every day during lunch and dinner just vanish if you place a piece of Pizza or a bowl of pasta before him.
Last week he was down with cold and fever and completely lost his appetite.. So the only way to make him eat was to cook his favorite, Spaghetti!!

What you need :
Spaghetti : 2 fistfuls, makes 4 servings
Onion : 1 small, finely sliced
Garlic : 3 cloves, crushed
Carrots : 1 , chopped
Beans : a fistful, chopped
Peas : 1 cup
Dried Oregano : 1 tsp
Dried Basil : 1 tsp
Kitchen King : 1 Tbsp
Jeera/ Cumin : 1 Tbsp
Salt : to taste
Olive oil : 2 - 3 Tbsp

For Tomato Sauce :
Tomatoes : 3 big, chopped
Onion : 1 small, chopped
Garlic : 2 - 3 cloves, crushed
Basil leaves : a handful
Sugar : 1 tsp
Chilli Flakes : 1 tsp
Salt and Pepper : to taste
Olive oil : 2 - 3 Tbsp

1. Prepare Sauce : Heat oil in a pan, and add onions and garlic, fry for few mins.
2. Add Tomatoes, Chilli and Sugar.
3. Cover and Cook in low heat for about 15 to 20 min, till tomatoes are done.
4. Add Basil leaves and season with salt and pepper.
5. Let it cool, and transfer to a blender, and blend to a coarse paste.
6. For Pasta : Prepare Spaghetti according to instructions and set aside.
7. In a wide pan, heat oil.
8. Add Jeera, garlic and onions, fry for few mins.
9. Add dried oregano and basil.
10. Now add the veggies(Carrots, peas, beans), season with salt and cook on low till the veggies are done.
11. Add kitchen King and prepared tomato sauce.
12. Mix well.
13. At last add Spaghetti and toss.
14. Serve hot.

Mom's Tips:
If the tomato sauce yields more than 1 and half or 2 cups, store the remaining in a bottle and keep it in refrigerator. You can store this for about 10 days.
You can add garam masala if you don't have kitchen king.

Penne Al'Arrabiata

After out trip to Italy last month, we were missing Italian food very much. And the sad part is, we did not have much time to visit an Italian restaurant. So today I decided why not try some recipe for lunch?

Penne al'Arrabiata

Since we both love hot and spice food, my pick for lunch was Penne al'Arrabiata... ummmm... sounds tasty is'nt it.... it tastes delicious too :)
The original recipe just has tomato sauce with chilles and oregano, but I even added some peas, beans and carrots for added nutrients.

Penne al'Arrabiata

So here goes my recipe:

Ingredients:
3 cups penne, cooked according to instructions
2 small onions, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, diced
1 cup tomato puree
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup frozen/fresh peas, carrots and beans
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp red chilli flakes (adjust acc. to your taste buds)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
2 tbsp parley, finely chopped
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

How I did it:

1. Heat oil in a deep wide pan and saute galic and onion till soft and fragrant. Add in tomatoes, tomato puree, salt, pepper, chilli flakes, basil and oregano and cook till tomatoes are soft and done.
2. Add the veggies and penne and mix to coat well with sauce. Cover cook for 5-7 minutes and sprinkle chopped parsley.
3. Serve warm.

Penne al'Arrabiata

Cooking time: 15 mins
Serves: 4

And the verdict:
ummmmm... delicious!!! J ate till he was stuffed :)
In short it was quick, warm, spicy, nutritious and yummy lunch!!