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.

I am happy I found at least one pasta dish that both my loves can enjoy :) A fuss free and very tasty dish which is a must try. I did not use any cheese but you can top it with some grated parmesan or crumbled feta if you so wish.

Ingredients: Serves 4

Red bell pepper ....................... 2 medium chopped roughly

Garlic ................................... 4 fat cloves

Tandoori masala ....................... 1 tsp

Red chilli flakes or powder .......... 1/2-1 tsp or to taste

Basil leaves ............................. 1/4 cup chopped

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) ......... 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp

Walnuts  ................................ 1/4 cup chopped

Mushroom .............................. 12-15 sliced

Peas ..................................... 1/2 cup

Penne Pasta ............................ 2 cups

Salt, Black pepper .................... to taste

Method:

1. Cook the pasta al-dente  as per package instructions. Drain and keep aside.

2. Place the chopped pepper and garlic on non stick cookie sheet/baking pan, sprinkle with salt and black pepper and olive oil give a mix with spoon and roast in  a 450ºF for 12-15 min and blend to a smooth paste in the blender with walnuts , basil, red chiili and tandoori masala. Set aside.

3. Saute mushroom and peas in 1 tbsp olive oil in a non stick pan till fully cooked add pepper sauce mix. Stir in the pasta. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Check for salt and seasoning. Serve hot. ENJOY!

Notes:

1. Tandoori masla is easily available in any Indian grocery store. I use the MDH brand.
2.  The sauce can also used as a spread, dip or as a pizza topping.

3. Different vegetables as carrot, zucchini, cauliflower can be used.

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