Creamy Cheesy Pasta salad | Creamy Penne Pasta Recipe | How To Make White Sauce Penne Pasta

 

Creamy Cheesy Pasta salad | Creamy Penne Pasta Recipe | How To Make White Sauce Penne Pasta with step by step photos and video. 

Cheesy penne pasta is a delicious concoction of penne pasta, veggies, and Italian herbs and spices with the well-known white sauce or Béchamel sauce. " The tender pasta dipped in the creamy, cheesy, silky smooth white sauce is a fantastic treat to serve at weekend occasions. It also makes a tasty lunch or dinner dish, and on occasion we can even fill lunch boxes.

About this White sauce penne pasta recipe

Cheesy penne pasta is a popular Italian dish in which chewy, soft penne pasta is tossed in a wonderfully smooth, creamy white sauce. The addition of bright veggies not only enhances the dish's aesthetic appeal but also offers each bite a delightful crunch. Fresh herbs and Italian flavours are used to flavor this dish.

One of the most exquisite pasta presentations is with a creamy, cheesy white sauce. Even though the sauce only requires the simple addition of butter, milk, and flour, it serves as the deliciously creamy base for a lot of Italian cuisine. Making the perfect white sauce is the key to success. Once you have mastered the preparation of white sauce, you will have access to a world of many delicious delicacies.

Some well-known Italian herbs and seasonings are used to season this penne pasta in a white sauce. Additionally, fresh vegetables are added to add lovely crunch to every bite.

The phrase "creamy cheesy pasta salad" is commonly used to describe pasta with a creamy cheese sauce. Any type of pasta can be prepared with this sauce. If penne pasta isn't easily accessible where you live, think of any other sort of pasta that is.

Expert's tip for making the white sauce pasta

1. The foundation of this pasta dish is the white sauce, also known as béchamel sauce. The butter-sautéed flour is then combined with milk and cooked until it becomes thick and creamy. Never let the flour burn, and make sure there are no lumps in the sauce. Burning will result in discoloration, therefore sauté the flour and butter over a low temperature to avoid burning. To prevent the formation of lumps, mix the sauce with a wire hook in one direction only.
2. As it cools, the white sauce will thicken, so remove it from the fire just before you achieve the proper consistency. If it gets too thick, the pasta dish won't taste good.
3. Veggies can be whatever you like. To obtain a good crunch and colorful appearance, I used broccoli, sweet corn, and red and yellow capsicum.
4. Let's move on to the topic of pasta selection.  Although I used penne in this dish, you may also use macaroni, rigatoni, fusilli, or farfalle, depending on what is in your pantry.
5. Make sure the vegetables are well-sauteed and remain crisp before combining with the white sauce, and that your pasta is cooked to perfection. We cannot reheat it after mixing with the white sauce since the sauce will thicken. To modify it, you must add more milk or water, which makes a huge mess.
6. If you can't find dried basil and oregano, try using mixed Italian herbs. It tastes wonderful as well.

How to Make Creamy Cheesy Pasta Salad

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Creamy Cheesy Pasta salad | Creamy Penne Pasta Recipe | How To Make White Sauce Penne Pasta with step by step photos and video. 

Penne pasta in Creamy Cheesy White Sauce

Preparation time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 20 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients

To cook pasta

• 150 gm penne pasta
• 5 cups of water
• A generous pinch of salt

To sauté the veggies

• 1 small medium onion, peeled and cubed
• Red and Yellow capsicum 1/4 cup each
• 1/2 cup broccoli or a small bunch of broccoli, separated
• 1/2 cup sweet corn kernels
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp olive oil

To Make white sauce

• 2 tbsp room temperature unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour or maida
• 1.5 tbsp finely chopped garlic cloves
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tsp red chili flakes
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp basil leaves
• 1 tsp white pepper powder
• Salt to taste

Other Ingredients

• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley leaves 
• Water as needed

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Preparation of white sauce pasta with step by step photos

Cooking the pasta

1. Let's start with preparing the pasta for the white sauce and penne pasta salad. In a sauce pan, take six to seven cups of water and season it with salt. To season the pasta perfectly, this is required. Allow the water to come to a boil on a high heat.
   
   
   
2. Once the water is at a rolling boil, add the penne pasta and cook it over medium-high heat. Remember to stir in between to avoid sticking, or you can add a few drops of oil to the water.
   
   
   
3. To see if the pasta is done, check it. If the pasta is cooked precisely, it will soften and spring back when you press it between your fingers,  else, take a bite.
   
   
   
4. Place the cooked pasta in a colander and rinse it with cool water. This will stop the pasta from continuing to cook and aid in keeping its structural integrity. Set aside.
   
   
   

Sautéing the vegetables

1. The vegetables will then be sautéed. Pour one or two tablespoons of butter or olive oil into a frying pan. Since I didn't want to add more butter to this recipe, I used olive oil today.
   
   
   
2. Add cubed and shredded onion and sauté till translucent. 
   
   
   
3. Put the vegetables, such as red and yellow capsicum, broccoli, and sweet corn kernels, into the hot oil. Make sure the onion and capsicum are sliced into bite-sized bits rather than large ones.
   
   
   
4. Maintain a medium-high temperature while sautéing the vegetables until they are done but still crisp. The vegetables should not be overdone because they add crispness to every bite of pasta with white sauce. Set aside.
   
   
   

The white sauce preparation

1. In terms of how a white sauce penne pasta salad looks and tastes, making the white sauce is a vital step. Never let the sauce burn; keep an eye on it at all times. Put two tablespoons of unsalted butter in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan.
   
   
   
2. Put 1.5 teaspoons of finely minced garlic into the melted butter. Never allow the butter burn; always keep the burner on low. Stir often while cooking until the garlic turns aromatic.
   
   
   
3. Now add 2 tablespoons of maida and stir constantly till the raw smell goes away. If the spoon still smells like raw maida, continue to sauté it for a few more minutes.
   
   
   
4. After that, add 1 cup of milk and stir continually with a hand whisk to prevent lumps from forming. Never stop whisking; if you do, lumps will form; take care.
   
   
   
5. Pour the remaining 1 cups of milk into the mixture once it began to thicken and continue to cook. If you're using high-fat milk, use only 1.5 cups; I used standard milk for this recipe.
   
   
   
6. Allow the milk to thicken to the point when a straight line can be drawn on the back of the spoon. At this point, the sauce will layer the spoon in a thin, pure white layer. Never allow the sauce to completely thicken since it will get thick as it cools. In order to balance the consistency if we thicken it first, we might need to add additional milk or water. But the flavor will be ruined. 
   
   
   
7. Extinguish the flame. The seasonings can now be added. Add red chilly flakes, dried oregano, basil leaves, pepper powder, salt, and dried oregano. Today, I chose white pepper powder because I didn't want the sauce to become discolored. 
   
   
   
8. Mix well.
   
   
   

White sauce penne pasta salad preparation

1. All three ingredients for pasta with white sauce are now ready. To the white sauce, add the sautéed vegetables
   
   
    
2. and the cooked pasta. Mix thoroughly.
   
   
   
3. Adding grated mozzarella or cheddar cheese while the pasta is still hot at this point turns it into a cheesy pasta. 
   
   
   
4. A two tablespoons of finely chopped fresh parsley leaves should be added. The well-known pasta salad with white sauce is now prepared for serving.
   
   
   
5. Enjoy.
   
   
   

Happy Cooking 

Anju