White sauce pasta

Ingredients for Pasta

3/4 cup Penne Pasta or any Pasta

1/2 teaspoon Salt

4-5 cups Water

For Veggies:

1/2 teaspoon Oil

1/4 cup chopped Carrot

1/4 cup chopped Green Capsicum

1/4 cup chopped Red Capsicum

1/4 cup chopped Broccoli

Salt to taste

For White Sauce:

1½ tablespoons Butter

1 teaspoon finely chopped Garlic, optional

1½ tablespoons Maida (all purpose flour)

1½ cups Milk (250 ml)

1/4 teaspoon dried Oregano, optional (or pizza seasonings)

1/4 teaspoon Red Chilli Flakes

A pinch of Black Pepper Powder (or crushed pepper)

Salt to taste

Boil 150 grams of pasta according to instructions on the package. I used regular penne pasta which was supposed to be boiled for 9  minutes and drain.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan on medium heat. Add all the veggies 

Cook the veggies for 2 minutes. They should remain crunchy. 

Once done, remove veggies onto a plate.

You can use the same pan, now add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the remaining tablespoon of butter.

Once the butter melts, add the 5-6 chopped garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Then add in 1 & 1/2 tablespoons of flour.

Whisk the flour continuously, using a wire whisk for around 30 to 60 seconds. You don’t have to brown the flour much.

Then add in 2 cups of milk. You can also add 1/4 cup heavy cream here or use additional 1/4 cup milk.

Mix everything using a whisk so that there are no lumps formed.

Add in the seasonings:

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (to taste)

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

black pepper, to taste

Mix in everything and let the sauce simmer.

Sauce will thicken as it simmers and in 4 to 5 minutes it will coat the back of the spoon. Turn heat to lowest.

Add in the veggies and the boiled pasta.

Toss until the pasta and veggies are coated with the sauce. Taste test and adjust the seasonings at this point. Serve warm!