Meena's Taste Mantra

Penne in White Sauce - a white sauce with a twist!

I love to make Pasta and normally tend to make Red Sauce rather than White Sauce. I somehow cannot get to use Maida | Refined Flour into my cooking and the use of butter | Cheese I prefer to keep it to minimal!

I wanted to try a healthy white sauce recipe and so I substituted Refined Flour with Jowar | White Millet Flour, Butter with Olive Oil and absolutely no use of cheese! Results...amazing and delicious Pasta in White Sauce with perfect Health Quotient too! Normally make this sauce adding Kodai Cheddar Cheese and garnish with Kodai Parmesan Cheese. But super glad with the result sans cheese | refined flour | butter, that from now on will make this sauce also as frequently as the Red one!

INGREDIENTS

100 gm Penne Pasta, boiled al dente

1 cup Milk, low fat, approx 100 ml

1 cup Water

1 tblsp Jowar | White Millet Flour

1/4 Red Capsicum, cut to 1/4" cubes

1/4 Yellow Capsicum, cut to 1/4" cubes

1/4 Green Capsicum, cut to 1/4" cubes

3 Basil Leaves

1 tblsp Olive Oil

1 tsp Dried Oregano Powder

1 tsp Dried Basil Powder

2 tsp Kali Miri | Black Pepper Powder

To taste Salt

METHOD

Boil Penne Pasta or any pasta of your preference as per the instructions on the packet. Ensure the Pasta is al dente. Once cooked, pour cold water on pasta to stop it from cooking further. Drain and keep aside.
In a non stick pan, warm olive oil and add Jowar Flour. On low flame combine flour with oil to make the flour crumbly in texture. Switch off the gas.
Add very little milk and gently whisk the jowar flour to make a lump free paste.
Place non stick kadhai on gas on medium flame and add remaining milk.
Add finely chopped garlic, Oregano Powder, Basil Powder and Black Pepper and mix well.
As the sauce starts to thicken, add water and mix well. Stir continuously till the sauce thickens. If adding Cheddar Cheese, this is the time to add it.
As the sauce begins to reduce, add chopped bell peppers and let the sauce come to a boil.
Gently break basil leaves with fingers into pieces and add it to the sauce and mix well.
Add boiled Penne Pasta and Salt. Combine sauce such that it coats all the pasta.
Let this cook for 2 minutes.
Switch off and transfer pasta to a serving plate.
Garnish with Basil Leaves and you may also grate little Parmesan cheese as per taste.
Serve Hot.

I had some of this lovely pasta leftover...and surprisingly they tasted lovely even when cold! Normally White Sauce Pasta has to be eaten right from the pan else they become pasty! But am really glad that this healthy version can be relished Hot | Cold!

We have used:

1. Naturally Your's Organic Penne

2. Keya's Dry Freezed Oregano

3. Keya's Dry Freezed Basil

4. Borges Extra Virgin Olive Oil

5. Tata Salt Lite

About C R Meena

(c) 2014 - 2016, Meena's Taste Mantra is the result of my ardent desire to share my recipes, with all who appreciate and celebrate food. These recipes are as a result of 60 years of cooking experience, influenced by tradition and exposure to various concepts, new recipes/ingredients and a passion for cooking - adapting to healthier alternatives.