TANDOORI PASTA

Quarantine has really made me extra creative with the ingredients I have in the pantry. This recipe is simple, spicy, and delicious. The best part is that it can be adapted for a vegan or vegetarian diet. Happy Cooking!

INGREDIENTS

Serves 3 (or 2 very hungry people)

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil

• 1 Tbsp Butter

• 1/2 Tsp Cumin

• 1/2 Tsp Turmeric

• 1 Tsp Tandoori Masala

• 1 /2 Chopped Red Bell Pepper

• 1 Chopped Roma Tomato

• 3 Minced Garlic Cloves

• 1/2 Diced Onion

• 1 Tbsp Tomato Paste

• 1 Shredded Chicken Breast (I used Rotisserie) or Crumbled Paneer

• 1/4 Box Cooked Pasta (I used Bowtie)

• 3 Tbs Heavy Cream or Milk

• 2 Tbsp Chopped Cilantro

• 1/4 Cup Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese

• Chili Flake & Cilantro to Garnish

• Salt & Pepper to Season

VEGAN ALTERNATIVES

• Instead of heavy cream use almond/oat/cashew milk or vegetable broth.

• Instead of pepper jack cheese, use vegan cheese (I really like the almond milk cheese from Trader Joes) or nutritional yeast.

• Instead of butter, use plant butter(I like Forage and Country Crock Plant Butter) or extra olive oil.

• Any of the Indian spice mixes would work in place of tandoori masala, I love experimenting with my flavors and you should too!

OTHER NOTES

• I have linked some of my favorite ingredients in the ingredients section, feel free to check that out!

• Throw in more veggies such as mushrooms, asparagus, spinach, etc - the more veggies the better!

• If you like a spicier dish, try using a Thai chili minced when you’re in the first few stages of making the sauce. It tastes awesome.

• I use rotisserie chicken because it freezes well and I don’t love cooking meat on my own very often, especially a bland chicken breast. Somehow to buttery goodness of a rotisserie chicken always beats my homemade version.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make sure all of your bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and cilantro are chopped to make the process super simple. Also, go ahead and boil your pasta according the box instructions and have that ready to go so assembly is easy.

2. Heat a large non-stick skillet with olive oil and butter. Once the butter is melted, add in the cumin, turmeric, and tandoori masala. Let it sizzle and mix around for 2 minutes until toasted.

   ***This is also the step where you can add the Thai chili if you’d like***

3. Add in all of the veggies and garlic. Sautee for 3-4 minutes until the veggies have softened. At this stage, you can add some black pepper and salt to season based on your taste preferences. I personally did not add any salt, but usually go heavy on the black pepper!

4. Add the shredded chicken and tomato paste into the pan. Stir through till everything is mixed and sizzling. This will probably take another 3-4 minutes.

5. Now it’s time to add in your cooked pasta! Once you have added your pasta, toss to coat it in your veggie sauce mix. Add in 2-3 tbsp of your milk/cream to loosen the sauce a little bit.

6. Once your pasta is bubbling, add some chili flakes. Give it a final stir!

7. Garnish with pepper jack and cilantro. Enjoy!