Spinach rigatoni with roasted garlic and chilli flakes

   This morning when I looked out of the window, I was gald to see that it wasn't snowing for a change.2 days of heavy snow can get to you after a while.The sun is out and the snow shining like polished diamonds, uplifted my dull mood and decided to get a south Indian meal for dinner and Italian meal for lunch.So out came my new food processor to test its ability to make the perfect Idli batter.It has done its job well I think, would see it at night.For lunch, I decided to play with spaghetti but it got bugs :(  , so out came rigatoni pasta, these are ridged, tube shaped pasta with straight cut ends.As my husband is vegan, it gets very difficult to put a more authentic vegetarian meal.I call his meal a veg vegetarian meal :)!!Got some ingredients in the cabinets and tried out this baked pasta which had my family wiping away their plates.The heavenly flavors and aroma of roasting garlic and chilli flakes were out of the world!Hmmm, try this.

Ingredients
Rigatoni pasta              400 gms
broccoli sliced              1 cup
sliced red bell peppers   1/2 no
quartered shallots          1/2 cup
spinach with cream         200 gms
chopped garlic               1 1/2 tbsp
pasta sauce                  400 gms
butter                            1 tsp
olive oil                         2-3 tbsp
chilli flakes                    1 tsp
Italian herbs for pasta     1 tsp
salt to taste
cheese                          100 gms
Method
Boil pasta with salt till just done.Do not overcook as we need to bake them too.Drain and wash.Put into a baking dish.Add the spinach with cream (If not available, cook spinach,blend slightly, do not puree, add the cream and salt)Mix well. Heat olive oil, add the chilli flakes.Add the chopped garlic and saute so that that heavenly aroma takes over the kitchen!!Yum!!Add the Italian herbs,make sure it does not burn, add the shallots, saute for a minute.Add the broccoli and peppers and saute.Add salt and let them turn to cook slightly.The vegetables should remain crisp.Add these to the pasta.Mix well.Top these with the pasta sauce and then with cheese.Bake this in a preheated oven at 200 deg for 20 mins or till the cheese turns brown.Enjoy this heavenly pasta which has wonderful flavors of garlic and chilli flakes.