Penne in Tomato Basil Sauce

I love pasta but I don't like pasta in red sauce (tomato sauce). Invariably, I always, always, had pasta in white sauce with extra cheese. Then one day boom, I turned Vegan, cheese loving me turned vegan and thus I stopped eating Pizzas and Pastas all together. I couldn't imagine having pasta without cheese until recently. 

I decided to finally use a packet of  whole wheat Penne; I had bought before turning vegan, with freshly harvested home grown tomatoes. If it was not for my allergy to raw tomatoes, I would have finished most of them before they reached the kitchen. I'm still not convinced that pasta in tomato sauce is better than white sauce but I do agree now that there was no reason for me to avoid it like a plague.

Though I took all accurate measurements to write the recipe, I would say it is a very flexible recipe that you could easily adjust to suit your palette and the ingredients available in your kitchen. Its simple, it's easy, its fresh, it's nutritious and its so yummmmyyy. Pasta can taste great without cheese... :)

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes (using a pressure cooker)

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:

• 2½ cup Whole Wheat Penne
• 800 gms Tomatoes (peeled blanched and crushed)
• 2tbsp Extra virgin Olive oil
• 1 Onion (finely chopped)
• 2tbsp crushed Garlic
• ½ cup grated Carrots
• ½ cup shredded Cabbage
• ½ cup chopped Capsicum
• ¾ cup chopped  Button Mushrooms
•  2tbsp dried Basil 
• Salt to taste

Procedure:

1. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet. Make sure to add 1tsp salt for every 1litre of water. 

2. Heat Olive Oil in a large pan, add crushed garlic and chopped onion. Saute till the onions turn translucent.

3. Add chopped mushrooms, saute till they start to sweat.

4. Turn up the heat and add carrot, capsicum and cabbage. Keep stirring for a minute or two.

5. Add the crushed tomatoes, mix well and keep cooking till it almost dries up.

6. Mix in salt and basil. 

7. Serve warm or cold it tastes great both ways. 

Notes:

1. Important to add salt to the water while cooking pasta because the pasta does not absorb much salt from the sauce. 
2. I recommend using fresh tomatoes, if you have time but if you want to do this faster, you could use tomato puree.
3. Better to use fresh Basil if available.
4. If u like to have your veggies crisp, add them after the tomato sauce has reduced a bit. I just do it this way so no one can actually pick out the vegetables they don't like. :)

Health and Nutrition

• Tomatoes are excellent sources of antioxidants, dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins. Because of their all-round qualities, dieticians and nutritionists often recommend them to be included in cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs. They are good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Potassium and Manganese.
• Added vegetables provide ample nutrition to make this a complete meal.