Baked Corn Pasta

Today I cooked for only two. My husband is down with cough and cold and I prepared a plain rice with rasam and pepper egg roast thinking it would give some relief to his cold. I myself was not interested in packing it for my lunch box, decided to do something else.

My mind was wandering about blogger’s meet and its contest all the time, I was thinking what to make for my lunch box that uses corn at a short span of time. I decided to bake pasta which I always do when I need to cook only for myself. Also, I can very well reheat it at office, can enjoy the hot, cheesy pasta for lunch and at the same time link it to the contest. This is my third entry to the IFBM and Freedom Tree Baking Contest.

Basic Information:

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Uncooked pasta – 1 cup

Onion – 1 no., small size, finely chopped

Tomato – 2 nos., small size

Garlic – 5 cloves, finely chopped

Sweet corn – 1/2 heaped cup

Milk – 2/3 cup or cream – 1/3 cup

Tomato sauce – 1 tablespoon

Salt – to taste

Black pepper powder – as required

Dried oregano – 1/2 teaspoon

Dried thyme leaves – 1/2 teaspoon

Grated cheese – 3/ 4 cup or as required

Olive oil – 1 and 1/2 tablespoons

Method:

1) Cook pasta as per the instructions given in the pack. I cooked it for 10 minutes by adding 3 cups of water, salt and a teaspoon of olive oil to it. Cooking time might vary based on the cooking method you choose (Stove top or microwave).

2) Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water and pass under the running water. Drain again and keep aside.

3) When the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. In a frying pan, add remaining olive oil. Add garlic and onion and saute it till it becomes soft and translucent.

4) Puree the tomato using mixie and add the pureed tomato to the pan. Mix well.

5) Add tomato ketch up. Give good stir. Let it be till the raw smell of tomato goes off.

6) Add corn, salt, pepper and dried herbs. give a stir.

7) Add cooked pasta to it and mix well till it get coated with sauce properly.

8) Pour the milk or cream to it after reducing the flame. Mix gently to coat the pasta with milk or cream.

9) Turn off the stove and transfer the pasta to the ovenproof dish or ramekins. Top it with grated cheese.

10) Bake it in the preheated oven for 15 minutes in 180C.

11) Serve hot.

Notes:

1) I preheated the oven for 200C for 15 minutes and reduced the temperature to 180C when I kept the dish inside to avoid browning the top.

2) You can use any of the pasta. I used elbow macroni pasta.