Mixed Veg White Sauce Pasta

kids eat more veggies when it is hidden amidst pasta and coated with cheese and cream. Every week I pack veggies-loaded pasta for lunch and my kids eagerly wait for that day of the week 😉 Recently, I started adding spinach to their pasta and they didn’t even notice it as they are so much fascinated about the cheesy pasta!! This fiber-loaded pasta makes moms happy! Creamy, cheesy pasta makes kids happy! Win-Win situation for both. Do try and let me know how you and your kids loved it! To compensate the blandness from cheese and cream, we adults pair it with spicy grilled chicken(link) or lamb(link).

Mixed Veg White Sauce Pasta

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Serves: 4

Ingredients

White Sauce:

• Butter - 1 tbsp
• Wheat Flour - 1 tbsp
• Almond Flour - 1 tbsp (Optional)
• Whole Milk - 2 to 3 cups (creamier)
• Dried Basil - ¼ tsp
• Dried Oregano - ½ tsp
• Cheese - Quarter block or as you wish

Veggies:

• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Beans - 10 to 12 or ¼ cup chopped
• Carrot - 1 or 2 or ¼ cup chopped
• Peas - ¼ cup
• Corn - ¼ cup
• Spinach - Handful or 1 cup chopped (Optional)
• Salt - ½ tsp heaped
• Raw brown sugar - ½ tsp (Optional)
• Black pepper powder - ½ tsp to 1 tsp

Pasta:

• Whole Wheat Pasta - 2 cups
• Water - 4 to 5 cups
• Salt - ½ tsp heaped

Instructions

To cook Pasta:

1. In a wide pan, add 4 to 5 cups water along with ½ heaped tsp salt and let it boil in medium-high flame.
2. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add 2 cups of whole wheat or brown rice pasta. Let it cook open in medium-high flame. Water should be at least 1 inch above pasta.
3. Cook for the time given in the pasta pack. I usually cook whole wheat pasta for 15 mins and brown rice pasta for 10 mins. To check doneness, a pasta should be soft and easy to cut with a spoon/fork.
4. Once cooked, take out pasta from water using a strainer or perforated ladle and keep aside. You shall keep closed to avoid drying out.

To make White Sauce:

1. In a pan, add 1 tbsp butter and melt in low flame.
2. Once butter melts, add 1 tbsp whole wheat flour and stir continuously until raw smell leaves and the flour turns to sandy texture. The stove is still in sim.
3. Add 1 tbsp Almond flour (optional) and stir continuously for 30 seconds. The stove is still in sim.
4. Add 1 tbsp milk and start mixing. Again a 1 tbsp milk and mix. Keep adding milk lil by lil until the flour mixture is mixed to a lump-free mix. Then add the remaining milk(total 2 to 3 cups milk) and mix well. The stove is still in sim.
5. Now, increase the heat to medium flame and stir now and then to avoid burnt bottom.
6. Cook open for 10 to 20 mins. Let the sauce thicken to desired consistency. The sauce should be lil runny as it will thicken after adding cheese.
7. Finally, simmer the stove and add chopped cheese. Stir well until cheese melts completely. Remove the pan from heat. If adding cheddar cheese, turn off the stove and add cheese as cheddar might curdle the sauce. See notes below for cheese recommendations.

To cook veggies:

1. In a wide pan, add olive oil and finely chopped garlic cloves.
2. Just sauté for a minute (do not brown garlic) and then add finely chopped beans and carrot. Stir fry for a minute.
3. Add ¼ cup each of corn and peas. If adding frozen ones, thaw for a minute in microwave, wash and then add. Stir fry for a minute.
4. Add ½ heaped tsp salt and sugar and give a quick stir.
5. Splash 2 tbsp water and cook closed in medium flame. Stir now and then to avoid burning. Splash more water, if required.

To cook Spinach:

1. In the meanwhile, to another small pan, add lil olive oil.
2. Once hot, add washed and finely chopped spinach, a pinch of salt and stir fry until the leaves wilt. Will take just 2 to 3 mins.

To mix all:

1. Once the vegetables are cooked (soft or crunchy is your choice but not mushy for sure), open and add ½ tsp to 1 tsp pepper powder (as per your spice level) and stir fry for a minute or until the vegetables are dry.
2. Add stir fried spinach to it and mix well.
3. Add prepared white sauce and mix well.
4. Add cooked and drained pasta and mix well.

Expert tip!

1. This might seem to be a big process but believe me, this can all be done in just half an hour. The trick is to do it parallelly. I use all my four burners to make this quicker on a busy weekday morning.
2. First boil the water for pasta in first burner.
3. Next, make the white sauce base in second burner and let the milk thicken as this step will take longer time. Do stir it now and then.
4. Then add pasta and let it cook.
5. Next, cook the veggies in third burner. Do stir it now and then.
6. Next, cook spinach in fourth burner.
7. Finally, mix all and Tada, your creamy, cheesy, fiber-loaded pasta is ready in just 30 mins.

Notes

1.Parmesan cheese or Cheddar cheese tastes best. Mozzarella cheese can be the last choice. You can also mix mozzarella and parmesan.
2.Buy block cheese and avoid grated ones as they contain anti-caking agents.
3.I prefer whole wheat or brown rice pasta.
4.Increase black pepper powder if you want it to be spicy.
5.Do not skip basil and oregano as they add best flavors.
6.Increase milk for more creamy pasta and increase cheese for more cheesy pasta.
7.Increase or decrease vegetables as per your wish. I add 2 cups veggies for 2 cups pasta.

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