How much I love Pasta 😯 ! Well my love for Pasta is unconditional, countless and for me Pasta is not a staple but my Daughter 
! Pasta is my little ones’ nickname! My love for food pushed me to search a name close to food for my daughter and I finally decided Pasta as her nickname. On this Mother’s day, my Pasta in White Sauce is dedicated to my I’ll one!
A bowl full of Cheesy, Creamy Pasta in White Sauce. This is what Pasta had in her Saturday dinner (and her Mom and Dad too)! In short, Pasta had Pasta! She enjoys the mild flavor of the white sauce and I often prepare Pasta for Dinner. Given we are Saturday vegetarian; I’ve used lots of veggies in my Pasta but escaped Chicken. My Pasta is loaded with veggies which include Coloured bell Pepper, Mushroom, Corn, Carrot and Onion and topped with lots of White Sauce a.k.a. Béchamel Sauce which is known as the mother Sauce in Italian Cuisine.
Here goes the steps involved in making Pasta in White Sauce:
Making Pasta in white Sauce involves 4 steps: Making of White Sauce/ Béchamel Sauce, Cooking of Pasta, Cooking the Veggies, and finally Assembling and Baking the Pasta with Veggies and White Sauce. I’ve used Penne Pasta for this preparation.
- Butter: 3 Tbsp.
- All Purpose Flour: 4 Tbsp.
- Boiled Milk: 2.5 cup
- Processed Cheese: 4 Tbsp.
- Onion: 1 (Medium Size)
- Cloves: 8-10
- Bay Leaf: 1
- Pepper Powder: 1 Tsp.
- Mixed Italian Herbs: 1 Tsp.
- Salt: ½ Tsp.
- Penne Pasta: 200g
- Vegetable Refined Oil: 2 Tbsp.
- Salt: 1 Tbsp.
- Water: 1 Liter
- Red Bell Pepper: ½ Cup (Chopped)
- Yellow Bell Pepper: ½ Cup (Chopped)
- Green Capsicum: ½ Cup (Chopped)
- Sweet corn: ½ cup
- Onion: 1 Cup (Chopped)
- Button Mushroom: 1 Cup (Chopped)
- Garlic: 1 Tbsp. (Chopped)
- Pepper Powder: 1 Tsp.
- Mixed Italian Herbs: 1 Tsp.
- Salt: ½ Tsp.
- Olive Oil: 2 Tbsp.
- Grated Cheese: ½ Cup (I've used Mozzarella Cheese)
- Take a medium sized Onion and tack the Bay leaf on the body of the Onion using Cloves (as Shown in the Picture)
- Now take Milk in a bowl and put the Bay leaf tacked Onion and then Boil the milk for around 8-10 minute in low flame and then remove the Onion from milk and strain the milk and keep aside for future use.
- Melt Butter in a Non-stick Pan over medium flame and add All Purpose Flour little by little and stir continuously to mix the Flour with Butter for around 1 minute till the Flour changes the color a bit.
- Now start adding previously prepared flavored milk in portion to the Flour mix and stir continuously so that no lump form while cooking. Add rest of the Milk and bring the mixture in to boil.
- Now add Cheese, Pepper, Salt, and herbs to the Sauce and cook for around 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens a bit.
- Add little Water if required.
- Keep the Sauce aside for assembling the Pasta.
- Boil around 2 litres along with salt, Oil in a deep bottomed pan in high flame.
- Add Pasta to the boiling water and cook for around 10-12 minutes till Pasta turned Al Dente which means completely cooked but firm to the bite.
- Strain Water using a strainer and then pour some cold water over pasta and then strain the cold water as well. Keep Cooked Pasta aside for future Use.
- Heat Olive oil in a pan, and add Garlic flakes and sauté for ½ minute
- Add chopped Onion, Bell Peppers, Corn and Mushroom and Cook for around 3-4 minutes or till the veggies cooked completely but retain their crunchiness.
- Add herbs, salt and pepper powder to taste. Keep the Veggie mix aside for assembling with Pasta.
- In a big Pan assemble cooked pasta along with the White Sauce and cooked Veggies.
- I've baked the Pasta further in 180 degrees C for 15 minutes after sprinkling some more Cheese.
- If you don’t want to bake the Pasta then just cook it after assembling for 5 minutes in low flame.
- Serve Pasta in White Sauce Hot!
