Macaroni in Tomato Basil Sauce

This is what I call inspired cooking. My colleagues are HUGE fans of pasta and demand that I bring in an extra lunchbox on days when I make pasta. One of them, Saumya, got tired of eating roti sabzi and decided to order Tomato Basil Pasta one afternoon for lunch. It tasted lovely and I wanted to try it out. Much as I have Tarla Dalal’s book on Italian cooking, I was too lazy to go look it up. I had a lot of veggies in the fridge and decided, as always, to make something as wholesome as I could. And this was the outcome.

Ingredients:

1 Packet (200g) Macaroni (or any pasta)
3 Tomatoes, blanched and peeled
1 large Onion
½ cup Mushrooms, cut in quarters
½ cup Baby Corn, chopped
¼ cup each Green, Yellow and Red Capsicum, chopped
3 tbsp Olive Oil
1 slice Low fat Cheese
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp Parsley
1 tsp Garlic Paste
1 tsp Red Chilli flakes
2 tbsp Tomato Puree
Salt to taste

Boil the pasta in large vessel with 1 tbsp oil and salt. Drain and keep aside.

Grind the tomatoes and onion in a blender until smooth.

Heat the remaining oil and add the Garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add the tomato-onion paste and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the basil, parsley, red chilli flakes and salt. Add the vegetables and the tomato puree and fry for another 2 minutes. Add a little water and bring this mixture to a boil. Add the cheese slice and stir till it blends in the sauce. This will give the sauce a slight grainy texture. Add the boiled pasta and heat for 1-2 minutes. Serve with garlic bread.