MACARONI IN MUSHROOM SAUCE WITH GARLIC BREAD

Every time we take Skip out for a meal, it’s Pasta, Noodles or Curd-Rice for him depending on the cuisine being offered. Skip loves Pasta and I enjoy making it because it’s so simple and quick.

Court vacations have begun and I decided to take the first day off and stay at home with Skip. Since it was just Skip and I for lunch, I thought I’d whip up a quick meal instead of having the usual fare of rice, curd, curry and a vegetable stir-fry. Skip wanted to have noodles for lunch but I needed a Pasta recipe for the blog and Skip didn’t mind Pasta either.

 Here is another “Chop-Chop Chow” recipe – Macaroni in Mushroom Sauce with Garlic Bread.

It took me less than an hour to prepare this dish and this in inclusive of the time it took to click pictures in this sweltering heat!

Ghee-Garlic mixture 

I usually buy Penne but for a change had picked up Macaroni, the last time I went grocery shopping. Though I prefer baked Mac n Cheese, I prepared the stove-top version and instead of just cheese made a mushroom sauce to go along with the Macaroni. The garlic bread too has been prepared on stove top. I ran out of butter so instead of the usual garlic-butter spread that I prepare for the oven toasted Garlic Bread, I used a simpler concoction made with Ghee (clarified butter).

MACARONI IN MUSHROOM SAUCE WITH GARLIC BREAD (Serves 2)

MACARONI IN MUSHROOM SAUCE

Ingredients:

Macaroni – 2 cups

Water -  3 cups

For the Mushroom Sauce:

Butter – 2 tbsp

Olive oil- 1 tbsp

Sliced mushrooms – 2 cups

Chopped onions – ½ cup

Chopped garlic – 2 tbsp

Maida (all purpose flour) - 1 ½ tbsp

Milk +Water – 2 cups

Cheese – ½ cup

Cream – ¼ cup (optional)

Salt, Pepper, Oregano

Method:

1.   Heat 3 cups water and once it begins to boil, add the macaroni to it along with a tsp of salt and few drops of oil. Once the macaroni is cooked (in less than 10 minutes), drain the water and keep aside.

2.     For the mushroom sauce: heat the butter in a large saucepan, add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions soften and turn pink.

3.     Add the mushrooms and cook until they brown.

4.     Add the olive oil to the mushrooms and give it a quick stir and then add the flour and keep stirring it for a minute.

5.  Add the milk and water mixture gradually, mixing well to make sure that no lumps form.

6.      Add the cheese and stir until the cheese melts.

7.      Once the sauce begins to boil, add the salt, pepper and oregano.

8.     Turn off the heat and add the fresh cream.

9.     Add the cooked macaroni into the sauce and let it cook for a minute or two.

10. Done.

GARLIC BREAD

Ingredients:

Bread- 2 slices

Butter/Ghee- 2 tbsp

Crushed garlic – 1 tbsp

Salt – ½ tsp

Pepper – ½ tsp

Method:

1.      Before you begin preparing the Pasta, in a bowl, add the butter/ghee, salt pepper and garlic and heat it either in microwave or on a pan and set aside.

2.   Once the Pasta is done, spread the above melted butter-garlic mixture on to the bread it and toast it.

3.     Done.

Recipe notes:

·         Upon draining the boiled Pasta, pour cold water on it and srain it once again. This way the Pasta doesn’t get stuck to each other.

·         You can also separately sauté veggies (capsicum, broccoli, zucchini), shredded chicken, olives, sun dried tomatoes and add these to the finished Pasta.

·         While making the Pasta, you can adjust the amount of milk+water mixture depending on your taste. If you like your Pasta runny, increase the amount of the liquid.