How to make penne pasta in marinara sauce from scratch | penne Pasta in home made marinara sauce | kids friendly

Pasta is a favourite kids meal at home or packed for a lunch box . Though pasta is an Italian dish it has become an integral part of every household irrespective of the country . Pasta is categorised as a processed food .I always prefer pasta made of whole wheat .If cooked in a right way with addition of veggies pasta makes a complete meal .Marinara sauce is  a thick tomato sauce  with Italian seasoning. This pasta tastes good either hot or cold ,I personally prefer cold .For the marinara sauce always pick  tomatoes that are juicy ,fleshy and deep red in colour.I have added capsicum and olives to increase the nutritive value of pasta .You can just avoid it .




Preparation time :15 minutes

cooking time : 20 minutes

serves : 5




Ingredients 

• 210 gms /2  cups penne pasta
• 460 gms /3 tomatoes (big)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/8 tsp of red chilly powder
• 1/2 tsp of sugar (optional)
• 2 tbsp of capsicum(chopped)
• 10 olives (pitted ) 
• salt as needed
• water as needed

Procedure:

1. Add water to a sauce pan ,place it on the hob and bring it to rolling boil.

2. Wash the tomatoes and make slits on it as shown in pic below .

3.Add tomatoes to boiling water and blanch for 5 minutes.

4. Remove with a slotted spoon ,cool it.

5.Peel the skin of tomatoes and blend it to a puree .

6.Add water to a deep bottomed sauce pan and bring it to rolling boil .

7.Now add salt to it ,stir it  and add pasta to the water.

8.Cook the pasta until Al-dente ,there should be a bite in it.

9. Drain the pasta in a colander,reserve some pasta water to add at last .

10.Take a pan or a sauce pan  place it on the hob add olive oil.

11.Now add garlic and oregano,just saute it for  a while , do not burn it.

12.Add tomato puree followed by capsicum,chilly powder,sugar and salt.

13.Cook it for 2 minutes,now add the drained pasta water about 3/4 cup .

14. Add pasta ,olives stir it well , close the lid and allow the pasta to absorb the flavours and turn the         flame to low.

15.Once the water has dried up ,switch of the flame.

16. Garnish with some olives and chilly flakes and serve.

Tips

1. Always add pasta to rolling boil water .
2. Salt must be added in away that the water should taste like sea water (salty) to boil the pasta.
3. Instead of adding pasta to the sauce ,it can be served along side too .
4. Do not over boil the pasta .
5. Sugar balances the tartness of tomatoes and enriches the flavours.
6. Adjust seasoning to your taste.