Palak Macaroni Bake

I have been cooking pasta for a few years now but the other day decided to try a completely different recipe. Now this was one where I was skeptical about how it would turn out and how the family would react to it…and boy was I surprised. They were all bowled over and I was told to make it again really soon. This is not something that happens often. Perhaps that is what gave me the much-needed impetus to post on my blog again.

 

It is a simple recipe actually…so here goes.

 

Ingredients

 

3 cups of cooked macaroni (you could use any cooked pasta),

1 tablespoon of any neutral oil,

1 tablespoon of butter,

1 medium sized onion,

4-5 garlic cloves,

3 green chillies (optional),

2 cups of chopped spinach,

200 grams of cottage cheese or paneer,

½-3/4 cup of milk,

Salt to taste,

Some crushed black peppercorns,

¾ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese

 

Method

 

Heat the oil and butter together in a pan and once heated add the onions, garlic and chopped green chillies (if using) and saute till translucent. Now add the washed and chopped spinach. Saute this till cooked, should take about 2 minutes.

 

Let this cool and blend it with the paneer and milk to a thick creamy sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the boiled macaroni and pour it into a baking dish.

 

Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese. Bake this in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for about 10 minutes.

 

I served this with red chilli flakes infused olive oil.