Pasta Pizza With Minced Meat, Mushrooms, Spinach and Tomatoes

If you guessed that I am an avid fan of Italian food,you guessed right! Yes, I have a weakness for pasta and pizza.A girl can't live on pudding and desserts alone just because she love them, you know. For today's lunch,I decided to combine both  Pasta and Pizza and make a "Pasta Pizza".Do you remember how I made my version of Tuscan Pot Pie with Macaroni and Cheese?Did you not love the Pasta and Milk Pudding dessert recipe I posted a while ago? Pasta, this way is more fun. Well, the concept of "Pasta Pizza" is not new and certainly not mine but this is how I do it and have been for quite sometime.Go ahead and try my version of this winning dish and you are bound to fall in love with it.
This along with "Baked Turkey N Broccoli-Rabe Meatballs With Linguine", "Sauteed Seasoned Asparagus With Chopped Rigatoni" and "Cocoa N Saffron Vermicelli Pudding" goes as entries to Five Star Foodie's Pasta Themed Event.

Also this goes to this week's Presto Pasta Nights hosted at Once Upon a Feast.

 

Ingredients:
For the Crust:

• Rotini or Raddiatore (Corkscrew) Pasta - 1 cup
• Milk - 2 tbsp
• Parmesan cheese -2 tbsp
• Egg - 1, whisked

For the Topping:

• Ground Meat(Pork/Turkey) - 3/4 cup
• Spinach - 1 cup, packed
• Mushrooms - 3 #s, small, sliced
• Campari Tomato - 1, halved and quartered
• Garlic - 2 cloves, minced
• Onion - 1, small, chopped
• Cracked Pepper - a few grinds
• Salt for taste
• Tabasco Sauce -  a dash
• Bertolli's Tomato, Garlic and Basil Sauce - 1/2 cup
• Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
• Shredded Mozzarella cheese - 1/2 cup or more

Tool:

• 8 or 9 inch All-clad skillet pan

Procedure:

• Cook the pasta according to package directions.Drain it completely of water.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a bowl, mix the cooked pasta, egg and parmesan cheese.
• Add it to the pan and bake for 10 minutes.Remove from the oven.

 

• In another deep skillet, heat olive oil, add garlic, onions, minced meat and saute till the meat is browned for about 5-7 minutes.
• Add salt, pepper, tabasco Sauce, Bertolli Sauce and mix to incorporate.Cook for 5 more minutes.
• Stir in the spinach and switch off stove.
• Top the Pasta-crust with the meat and tightly pack it.

 

• Layer the top with Mushrooms and Tomato and sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese.

 

• Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts. Cool for 5 minutes and cut them into 6 wedges. 
• Serve the wedge with some salad on the side.

Makes 3 Servings

Enjoy!

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Fast Fusion Pizza

This is a pizza that uses Mexican Tortilla for base, Italian Pasta Sauce as pizza sauce and Indian Cottage cheese(Paneer) as one of the toppings. Taste-wise, I can think of only one thing - Utterly Yum! And it takes "Under" 15 minutes to make. Yup, you read that right dears.Not trying to fool you, what with this being Fool's day and all. And if you are a fan of thin crust pizza(Read New york Style) then you will certainly love this.Hey, I am not biased and I am equally fond of deep dish pizza(Chicago Style) and anything else that remotely resembles a pizza.This makes its way to "International Pizza Pie Incident" Party held at Jeroxie's space.

Ingredients:

• Tortilla - 2 (Wheat or Plain)
• Paneer - 1/2 cup, cubed and shallow-fried in a tbsp of oil
• Spinach - a handful
• Mozzarella Cheese - a handful, shredded
• Red Onion - 1/4, Cut into rings
• Garlic Powder - a dash
• Cumin Powder - a dash
• Salt for taste
• Pasta Sauce - 2 tbsp
• Olive Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
• In a skillet, warm the tortilla and place them one-over-other in an oven proof pizza-pan.
• In the same skillet, add a tbsp of olive oil, Wilt the spinach with garlic powder, cumin powder and little salt.Toss the onions real quick and set aside.
• Layer the top of tortilla with Pasta sauce, wilted spinach, paneer and onions.
• Top it with Mozzarella cheese and bake for 7-8 minutes,til, the cheese is melted and the edges of the crust begins to brown.

Makes 1 Serving

Note:

• Any Flat Bread can be used - Wheat Roti, Maida Roti, Pita. If using Pita, just use one.

Enjoy!

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