Spinach pesto penne pasta

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

For Bechamel Sauce:

• 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

For Spinach Pesto:

• 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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Preparation

• 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.

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