Fusilli Pasta with Neapolitan Tomato Sauce

Pasta is one of my most favorite Italian dish and I enjoy all forms and shapes of them :) Be it with a white sauce or a tomato base, they are just yummy!! :)

Neapolitan sauce is also known as Marinara sauce in the US and is a quick version of tomato based sauce which goes really well with pastas. The flavor of basil would make it simply delicious :)

The addition of colorful and healthy veggies make it more interesting and yummilicious :)

Ingredients:

Fusilli pasta - 2 cups
Broccoli
Green bell pepper - 1/2
Yellow bell pepper - 1/2
Red bell pepper - 1/2
Tomatoes - 6
Garlic - 3 pods
Paprika - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Chilly flakes - for taste(optional)
Basil herb - 1 tsp (or use 1/2 cup fresh basil)
Salt - for taste
Olive oil
Mozzarella cheese - 1/2 cup

Method:

Heat 4 cups of water with a tsp of salt in a pan and add the pasta to it. Boil until the pasta is well cooked. Drain the pasta and rinse in fresh cold water. Keep aside.

Choose well ripen tomatoes. Make slits in the tomatoes and blanch them in hot water for 3 mins. Peel the tomatoes, discard their skin, remove seeds and puree them.

Split the broccoli florets and blanch them in hot water for three mins. Drain and keep aside.

Chop garlic finely. Dice bell peppers into small cubes.

Take 3 tsps of olive oil in a pan and add the chopped garlic. Add the bell peppers and fry for two mins. Pour in the tomato puree and add the basil, pepper powder, paprika, chilly flakes and salt to it. Allow this to boil until the sauce becomes thick. Add the broccoli and give a stir. To this add the cooked pasta and grated cheese. Toss gently and serve hot :)

Enjoy the mouth watering fusilli pasta :)

Tips:

Adding vegetables is purely optional. You can keep it simple with just the tomato sauce base.

You can grate some cheese on top and microwave it for few mins before serving for a cheesy pasta :) oops sinful pasta!! :P

I bet you would lick your plate clean :P

Written by: Nithya
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