Karla Easy Meals No.1 - Penne Pasta, ricotta and chives

Today my morning started like any other morning packing lunches, practicing magic words, school drop off, what was different today from any other day is that I decided to have a ME day after school drop off. I lazed around the house just me  the TV  and some much needed reading which meant no food preparation for tonight's dinner.

This dish will never make the pages of Gourmet food mags but it is my own recipe and it is easy and delish just perfect for days like today where really I had better things to do than to be thinking about dinner.

And....... I might of had a Me day but that does not mean we can not have homemade food like everyday.

PREP TIME: 20 minutes

Ingredients

500g Penne pasta
400g Tin tomatoes
1/2 onion
1 Clove garlic
1 TBSP vegetable stock powder (Massel)
a dash of red wine
1/2 tsp of Hungarian paprika (sweet paprika)
1 TSP olive oil
2TBSP sour cream
a handful of chives
100g ricotta cheese
salt and pepper to season (optional)

Method

1. Place Penne pasta in boiling water and cook until al dente

2. While cooking the pasta place olive oil, onion and garlic in a small pot and lightly sautee onion and garlic.

3. place the sauteed onion,  garlic and tin tomatoes in a hand held food processor and puree until smooth (if you don't have a food processor just chop the tomatoes finely)

4.Return onion, garlic and puree tomatoes to the small pot add Vegetable stock, Hungarian paprika and a dash of red wine, simmer on low heat and bring it to the boil.

5. Remove from heat add sour cream and stir until is well combined.

6. once pasta is cooked drain water and return pasta back into the pot

7. add creamy tomato sauce to the pasta and combine well until all pasta is well coated with the sauce.

8. add salt and pepper to season to your own taste

9. Serve pasta in individual bowls place crumbled ricotta on top as much or little as your heart content and garnish with chopped chives.

VIOLA!!!! 

SPECIAL NOTES:

In order to  cook this meal in short time  start by boiling the water for the pasta and place the pasta in a pot then proceed to prepare the sauce and the other bits and pieces.

I usually alternate ingredients just for something different for example

Ricotta for fetta

Chives for basil leaves

*if you want to make it gluten free just use gluten free pasta just pre- wash the pasta like you would with rice to remove some of the starch and keep a close eye on the pasta while cooking.

This recipe is not only delish warm but I also serve it as a salad by adding

Cherry tomatoes cut in half, fetta cheesse, steam green beans cut in 1/3 and add a bunch of baby basil leaves

Enjoy

Karla