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*This blog post is sponsored by Barilla, all recipes and opinions are my own*
Growing up, the rule in my house if I didn’t want what my mom made for dinner, I had to cook my own meal. And growing up in Northern NJ, I always wanted pasta. But while I’d cook pasta, my mother would inevitably throw in some masala and spices into my sauce. It became the flavor of my childhood – masala pasta with tons of veggies! October is National Pasta Month and so I’ve been craving this taste of home. Barilla knows that sharing a dish of pasta is one of the simplest ways to show you care, and this masala pasta always reminds me of the love I felt at home making this with my mom. This time I’m one-upping her with some extra protein by using Barilla’s Protein+ Penne pasta! It is a good source of protein with 10g of protein per 2 oz serving! The pasta is also 100% plant-based and is made with wheat, and proteins from lentils, chickpeas, and peas.
My mom would throw in garam masala, turmeric, red chili powder, cumin, coriander, pretty much the entire masala dhabba, into the sauce behind my back when I wasn’t looking! Over time I went from yelling at my mom to leave the sauce alone to just letting her do her thing because I’d gotten used to her pasta sauce meddling and enjoyed the flavors she created.
For this recipe, I used Barilla Premium Roasted Garlic Red Sauce for my pasta. This way I didn’t have to spend hours trying to get that deep flavorful tomato sauce. Plus it’s made with no added sugar, no preservatives, and is Non-GMO Project verified! The garlic flavor in this sauce is so prominent and works so well with all the additional spices to the sauce.
When it comes to the veggies in the masala pasta, feel free to use whatever you have in your fridge! I’ve used zucchini, eggplant, peas, broccoli, spinach, and carrots in the past. Quick tip: be sure to dice hearty vegetables like carrots and broccoli into ¼ inch or smaller so that it cooks quickly and evenly!
If you decide to make this dish be sure to tag me at @milkandcardamom! This pasta is super easy to make and hits the spot when I’m missing my mom’s nakhra (antics) in the kitchen. 💕 Shop for almost all the ingredients for this recipe here.
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Masala Pasta
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Spicy, garlic-y masala pasta made with Barilla Protein Plus Penne pasta and Barilla Roasted Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 box {14 oz) Barilla Protein+ Penne pasta
- 1 jar of Barilla Roasted Garlic pasta sauce
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 1 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
- 3/4 tsp turmeric
- 3 tsp garam masala
- 3 tsp (or to taste) red chili powder
- 3 tbsp heavy cream (optional)
- Crushed chili flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Cook Barilla Protein+ penne pasta according to package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot add the cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds start spluttering, add onion and lower the heat to medium. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add bell peppers and saute for an additional 2 minutes. Add Barilla Roasted Garlic pasta sauce and spices and stir well. Cook for 2 minutes. Add heavy cream and mix well. Stir in the drained pasta until well combined. Sprinkle with crushed chili flakes before serving.
Notes
Use 1 cup of whatever veggies you have in the fridge. Some good options include zucchini, eggplant, peas, broccoli, carrots, etc. Be sure to dice them ¼ inch or smaller so that it cooks quickly and evenly.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Fusion, Italian
