It’s been a while i shared a food recipe. I’ve not cooked as much as I used to but recently I made something easy but very delicious.
Pasta has always been a fave for me because not only is it very easy to cook, it’s not time consuming.
I made this quick penne pasta for lunch today and it came out great.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 ball of green pepper & yellow pepper each
• 1 Onion
• 10 pcs of scotch bonnet
• A pack of Penne pasta
• A clove of garlic
• 6 pcs of carrots
• 5 Sausages( half a pack)
• Seasoning cubes
• Sesame oil & Soy sauce
• Half kilo of Beef
• 1 sachet tomato paste
MEAL PREP
First thing I did is to wash my vegetables and rinse them slightly in salt water. I do this to help remove any bacteria and to prevent stomach upset.
Next, I chopped the carrots , onions, green & yellow peppers into long slices preferably.
Then I roughly chopped the scotch bonnets and garlic as well.
I like playing around with different shapes especially when I’m chopping or meal prepping. I cut my sausages into long parts as well.
Afterwards, i thoroughly washed my beef and seasoned with onions, seasoning cubes & thyme powder for flavor. I let it cook for about 10 minutes and proceeded to cut into bits after being tender enough.
RECIPE
In a clean non- stick pan, I poured in a bit of the sesame oil and then little vegetable oil. I used more of the sesame oil because I love the flavor and aroma it brings. It gives it a different taste as well.
I poured in the chopped garlic and the chunks of beef I diced earlier. I let this fry for about 3 minutes until golden brown.
Next step I did is to pour the tomato paste and fry for a bit. It’s important to do this on low heat so it doesn’t get too dry. Fry for about 3 minutes to take away any souring taste and then I poured the chopped pepper.
I allowed this to fry a bit and turned the gas off while i parboiled the pasta.
On another side of the gas, I proceeded to parboil the penne pasta.
In a clean pot, i heat up water and a bit of oil. I added oil because i learnt that it helps with making the pasta not gummy or soggy.
While the water was boiling, i went in with the pasta and allowed to boil for about 8 minutes. I wanted it to be cooked enough and at the same time, I didn’t want it over boiled or too soft.
At about 8 minutes later, the pasta was ready. I poured it into a sieve and reserved a bit of pasta water for the sauce.
Next, I poured the sausages and fried for about 5 minutes before going in with my vegetables. At the stage everything takes less than 5 minutes to cook cause the food is almost ready.
I seasoned with two seasoning cubes and poured in a cup of the pasta water I set aside and cooked for extra 3 minutes.-
Lastly , I went in with the parboiled pasta and I sprinkled some soy sauce for even more flavor. Not only does it add flavor, it adds coloring. At this final step, I was careful not pouring too much of the soy sauce so the pasta doesn’t get too salty.
I did a taste check and everything was perfect . I let it steam on low heat for an extra 5 minutes and then it was ready.
I served everyone and they all had great things to say. It was so flavorful and yummy, very filling too.
It’s a dish anyone can make during the festive season. The beef can substituted with chicken breasts and any protein of choice.
The vegetables remained fresh and not overcooked, the pasta was just the right texture as well.
This is one of my easiest recipes so far.
