Tri Color Pasta & Freedom Haiku Poem

Freedom Haiku Poem

I hear patriotic voices

Makes my heart cheer

Our Constitution give us

The right to freedom

If Freedom was a dish of Pasta

I would cook the way I like it.

And would eat it any time or all the time.

Thank you Stacy for making me rack my brains and write a poem, which is not my forte.

This Tricolor Pasta , represents the color of our national flag. The best thing about this Tri Color Pasta it that you can assemble it and cover with a foil. Just before serving place it in the air fryer or a preheated oven and bake it 180°C for 20 minutes or till it is heated through, I, used the air fryer. 

You also add how ever much cheese you want between the layers, I have used the minimum amount of cheese since, am, health conscious.

Serves 2 -3
Ingredients
3 Cups Penne Pasta 
For The Carrot Pesto
4 Medium Ooty Carrots - peeled
2 Dried Red Chilly - chopped
1 Tablespoon Yellow Bell Pepper - chopped
1 Tablespoon Heaped Toasted Pine nuts
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Tablespoon Heaped Parmesan Cheese
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Salt to taste
For the Spinach Pesto
½ Cup Packed Blanched Spinach
1 Green Chilly
1 Tablespoon Heaped Toasted Pine nuts
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Tablespoon Heaped Parmesan Cheese
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Salt to taste 
A Pinch of Black pepper powder
For the White Sauce/Bechamel Sauce
3 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Heaped Homemade Cream Of Soup Mix
3 Cups Milk
2 Tablespoons Heaped Shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 Tablespoons Heaped Shredded Processed Cheese
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
A Pinch of Nutmeg powder
Extra Butter as required
Extra Cheese as required

Method 

Boil the pasta as per package instructions. Drain, reserve the pasta water and keep both aside. Divide the pasta into three equal parts.

For The Carrot Pesto

In a pressure pan add the carrot, red chillies, yellow bell pepper and ¼ cup water, cover and cook them on high flame for 2 whistles. Cool the cooker completely, then open it. Remove the carrot and red chillies from the cooker, if there is any water, keep it aside.  

Add the carrot, red chillies and rest of the ingredients for the carrot pesto and blend to a smooth paste, if necessary add the water that the carrot were cooked in. Remove this into a bowl and keep aside.

Carrot Pesto is ready!!
For the Spinach Pesto

Add the spinach (squeeze out all the water), red chillies and rest of the ingredients for the spinach pesto and blend to a smooth paste. Remove this into a bowl and keep aside.

Spinach Pesto is ready!!

For the White Sauce Pasta

Melt butter in a pan. Add Homemade Cream Of Soup Mix  and sauté, stirring continuously till the raw smell disappears, remove from flame and add milk gradually, whisking continuously. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat and let it simmer. Continue to whisk for 10-12 minutes or till the sauce is smooth and slightly thick.
Add cheddar and processed cheese and keep whisking. Add salt, pepper powder, and nutmeg powder. Divide the sauce into 3 pots/pans.

For The Spinach Pesto Pasta

In one pan add a tablespoon of butter, all of the spinach pesto and one part of the pasta and the white sauce, cook till it thickens a little. 

Do not dry this completely, because we want a saucy pasta. Keep aside
For The Carrot Pesto Pasta

Similarly do the same in seperate pots/pan for the carrot pesto and 

keep this aside too.
For The White Sauce Pasta

In the same white sauce pan add a additional tablespoon of butter, add one part of pasta, taste for salt and pepper powder and add according to your taste.
Now all our Tri Color pasta is ready.

Let's Assemble - Tri Color Pasta 

In a large baking big soufflé dish, butter the dish well. Add the spinach pesto pasta, sprinkle cheese 

then top it with the white sauce pasta, then again sprinkle cheese on top, 

lastly top it with the carrot pesto pasta and again sprinkle cheese. 

It's ready for the air fryer.. see all the layers

Place this foiled covered dish in the Air Fryer basket @ 180°C for 20 minutes. Let it sit in the air fryer for 3 minutes. Remove and un mold it.

I could have turned it into another serving dish, but, since I sprinkled little cheese in between layers, was apprehensive that it would crumble.

This was a truly delicious, worth the effort and time taken to make it.

Labels: Tri Color, Spinach Pesto, Carrot Pesto, White Sauce ,Vegetarian, Main course, Sunday Funday, Pasta & Noodles, Italian, Air Fryer 

April is National Poetry Month. Our Host for  Sunday Funday is Stacy - https://www.foodlustpeoplelove.com asked us to "Share a recipe and a poem about your chosen recipe or motivational ingredient".  

• An Ode to Kung Pao Tacos by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Bacon Queso from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Chicken Parmesan Pizza by Making Miracles
• Foraging-Shy, a Haiku + Mushroom Ragù from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• I Cooked for Pleasure: Chicken Fried Bacon by Palatable Pastime
• Tri Color Pasta & Freedom Haiku Poem from Sneha's Recipe
• Vegan Thai Iced Tea by Mayuri's Jikoni