Teddie Pasta and Veggies in Tomatoey Cheese Sauce and ‘Only’ Series Event Announcement

Hi friends!

I feel glad to announce that I am starting off with ‘ONLY’ series from this month onwards. Every month I will pick up a new topic thus enabling us to innovate more recipes. For this month the topic is “KIDS DELIGHT”.

Kids are a source of inspiration to our cooking as we really have to think hard to provide a tasty and at the same time nutritional food to them, so that they are nourished properly. So feel free to make any kids friendly recipe, which you believe will provide a balanced diet and at the same time will pamper their taste buds too.

Though this  is a vegetarian  blog I will accept non-veg entries also as many kids only eat non-veg. Send in your fresh entries (no limit) but I will accept only two archived posts if reposted. E-mail  to cookingoodfood@gmail.com  with the Subject- Kids Delight   in the following format:-

Your Name

Blog’s Name

Recipe link

Picture of size 350pixel

Link back your post to the event page. Use of logo is Mandatory as it helps spread the word. Non bloggers can also participate, just send in your entry and picture to the above mentioned email and I will post your recipes in my space.

Here is the list of people hosting the events for the next few months.

Month Host Theme Round Up August’10 Pari Only-Kids-Delight      Part I      Part II Sept’10 Piya(Yallapantula) Mitharwal Only-Low Oil/ Low Calorie Food      Part I October’10 Preeti Binniwale Only-Festive Food      Part I Nov’10 Pari Only- Chaat      Part I Dec’10 Saraswathi Iyer Only- Greens Jan’11 Prathibha Garre Only- Salad Feb’11 Pari Only-Cooking with Bread March’11 Nivedita Only-Original Recipes April’11 Only- Fusion Cooking May’11 Nayana Kanabar Only- Coolers and Mocktails June’11 Reva Only- Ice-Creams July’11 Harini-Jaya Only- Baked

Coming to the recipe,

My kids love different shaped pastas, dino, mickey, teddie and so on. My co-sister keeps providing me with small goodie bags of these cute shaped  pastas. These are very light to digest and extremely easy to cook. My job is to make different kinds of sauce and add the pasta to it. Earlier I have shared a recipe with dinosaurs pasta too.

Today, I share another very tasty and hassle free preparation and is loved by my kids. The cheese sauce is very simple to make and the addition of tomato puree gives it a mild tomatoey flavor and a beautiful color. I have kept the spice level and flavors as per my child’s palate, one is free to make suitable changes.

I had made this for my kids lunch but this can also make a heavy evening snack too. My kid loved it and to my delight did not even observe that there were veggies going in it which were beautifully hidden under the thick cheese sauce.

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups milk

5-6 cheese slices

1 tsp butter

3-4 tbsp tomato puree

2 tsp white pepper pwd

1 tsp oregano

a large pinch nutmeg pwd

a few celery leaves

about 3 cups boiled pasta (I used mickey shaped)

mixed veggies cut into triangles ( I used zucchini and colored bell peppers)

1 garlic pod finely chopped

1/2 onion finely chopped

about 1/2 cup grated mozzarella-cheddar cheese

Method

Boil the pasta as per the directions given on the pack.

Remove it in a colander and pour cold water on it.

 

In a pan tip in the veggies and drizzle a few drops of oil, some salt and pepper and cook for a min.

Heat butter in a pan and add garlic to it followed by chopped onion and saute lightly (do not let it brown).

Add the milk and bring it to a boil.

Add the  white pepper, oregano, celery and nutmeg.

 

Mix thoroughly.

Add the cheese slices and tomato puree, let the sauce thicken.

Mix the cooked pasta in it.

Grease a baking dish and pour the pasta. Top it with the veggies followed by grated cheese.



Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 15-20 minutes/ or till the cheese melts.

   
Serve it hot with some garlic bread.

This is my first entry to my event and also sending it to Mita’s  MM- party treat event guest hosted by Saraswathi of Sara’s corner.