Spinach pesto penne pasta

Name: Spinach pesto penne pasta
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: En
Ingredients: 4 cups penne pasta; 12-15 button mushrooms,thinly sliced; 1 carrot,finely chopped; 1 big onion,sliced thin horizontally; 4-5 big garlic pods,finely sliced; 1 teaspoon mixed dried Italian herbs; 1 teaspoon red chili flakes; 2 tablepsoons grated parmesan to garnish(optional); 1 teaspoon chopped parsley for garnish; 3 tablepsoons extra virgin olive oil(EVOO); salt and ground pepper to taste; 1/4 cup all purpose flour(or 1/4 cup whole wheat flour as a healthier option); 3 tablepsoons butter (or 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil as a healthier option); approx 300 ml hot milk; a pinch of grated nutmeg; a generous pinch of freshly ground pepper; salt to taste; 1 medium bunch spinach; a small bunch of fresh parsley(approx 1/4 cup); 1/4 cup pine nuts or 1/4 cup walnuts; 2-3 tablepsoons grated parmesan cheese; 2 garlic pods; 1 tsp freshly ground pepper; 3-4 tablepsoons extra virgin olive oil; juice of 1/2 lemon; salt to taste

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Main Dish

Very Easy

40 min

Preparation

Preparation15 min

Cook time25 min

To Cook Pasta:
Cook according to the instruction of your package or follow this procedure: Bring water to a boil in a big pot (filled to its half) and add salt,1 tsp olive oil and pasta and cook over medium flame for 10-12 mins until al dente(cooked and tender to teeth). Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of water for later usage. You can even give a cold bath to the pasta by running it under fresh tap water which helps in keeping the pasts separate.
To make Spinach Pesto:
Boil water and add salt and chopped spinach and blanch for a minute or two and immediately let it go under a cold bath which helps in retaining the color of spinach. Blend spinach with all the other ingredients under the pesto section to a slightly coarse sauce. If needed add some strained spinach water to ease in grinding.
To make Bechamel Sauce:
Heat butter/olive oil in a pan on medium flame and add flour/wheat flour and whisk immediately with a balloon whisk until it forms a smooth paste of it.Now add slowly hot milk into this paste and whisk continuously until you get a smooth uniform mixture. Cook it for 2-3 minutes until the raw smell of the mixture goes away by stirring it continuosly. Season it with enough salt,pepper powder,ground nutmeg to it and mix well.
The Final Cooking of pasta:
Heat olive oil in a wide bottomed pan and fry sliced garlic until slight brown and crisp and add thinly sliced onions and fry until they are pink and soft.
Now add sliced mushroom and chopped caroot and cook until tender. Add the spinach pesto sauce,bechamel sauce and mix well. Add 1/4 cup reserved pasta liquid if required add more to get a medium sauce consistency.
Add cooked pasta and mix well until all the pasta is covered with the sauce and is warm. Now add red chili flakes,Italian herbs,salt and pepper and mix well.
Dish it out to the serving platter and sprinkle some cheese over it. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve it with Lime Soda or drink of your choice.