Macaroni with tangy tomato sauce...

Pasta is every kids favorite... no no its an adults favorite too in many cases like me here. For an extra special Friday evening dinner we have tables lined up with plates of pasta ... the specialty is that we dont share with each other :)  I know thats bad but its just too good to share with others. Having kids gobble down their meals at jet speed is every mamma's dream and I am no exception to that. For me Friday evenings are like the dullest when it comes to household chores. Its not about exhaustion but sure a laziness looking forward for a fresh-break weekend. So I feel that its the right time of the week to sparkle some shine on my kids faces without huddling around the kitchen for a long time. 

When they hear the word 'pasta' or they see the pasta jar filled up with those tiny shells and pipes and swirlies and ribbons, they just cant resist. To make them smile the easiest way on a dinner table is to serve them this favorite of theirs. We have variations all around but finally end up with the word pasta... whichever it may be.

This simple recipe calls for tomato, garlic and coriander for the base sauce. Simple to make but brilliant to taste. Just the right measure to get the perfect taste and I can assure you bowls getting emptied in no time :)

Serves... 2-3 kids

Serve option... Warm with cheese

This is what u'll need....

Macaroni - 1 cup
Tomato - 1 
Coriander - 3-4 strands
Garlic - 2 cloves
Oil - 1 1/2 tbspn
Pepper to taste
Salt to taste

Here is the stir....

• Cook the macaroni as per intructions on package. If no instructions, no problem - Bring water to a rolling boil, add pasta and salt, 1/2 tbspn oil. Cook it for 8-10 minutes until soft but not too soft. It should have a little bite to it. Once cooked, drain off the excess liquid and keep it aside. Save a little pasta water in case you need a little when cooking the sauce. I sometimes mess up the sauce by frying them till too dry. In such cases adding a little pasta water helps thinner the sauce

• Grind tomatoes and coriander leaves to a fine paste and keep it ready. Dont add too much coriander as it will taste bitter. We just need a hint of flavor from the coriander leaves, so a little should do the magic

• Heat a tbspn of oil in a non-stick pan and add grated garlic to it. Make sure you keep the flame on low to get the complete garlicky flavor.  Saute the garlic till you can smell the aroma filling your kitchen. Keep an eye on it not to burn as it has a tendency to brown pretty quick, especially when it is grated

• Pour in the tomato, coriander mixture into the pan. Stir it for a few seconds and then let cook on high flame for a couple of minutes. High flame helps take off the tomato moisture faster

• Sprinkle salt and pepper to suit your taste. Stir again to let the salt and pepper set into the sauce. Now its time to turn down the flame to medium and let it cook couple more minutes till you can see the oil separating

• Toss in cooked pasta into this pan and mix everything together so that the sauce looks evenly coated

• Time to serve now. Transfer into dinner plates and garnish with grated cheese on top. The cheese will melt coz of the heat. Enjoy and have a wonderful evening

Note:

• Be cautious when cooking garlic, not to brown it or it tastes bitter
• Dont overcook macaroni and keep the salt on lighter side
• Garnish with cheese adds a little texture and flavor to the dish
• Dont overdo the coriander stuff or it tastes bitter. Myself did once but never again