This is a cheesy pasta dish loaded with paneer, not just paneer, the most addictive malai paneer, and the sauce also has the touch of malai curry. This is a totally comforting dish that can be called Indian baked paneer mac and cheese.
Malai Paneer Tikka, a version of paneer tikka that is not the fiery red colored one, is equivalently tasty, and as the name suggests, this pasta dish is loaded with the flavors from the paneer dish. Instead of marinating and grilling, the onions, bell pepper, and paneer are sauteed quickly, just to tender crisp perfection as they cook in the oven while baking too.
Malai means cream, and we have traditional paneer curries with malai or white sauce and the cheese sauce for this pasta is based on that. This eggless Indian alfredo sauce with a touch of ginger, garlic, and Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) is a perfect one to pour on pasta and devour. Spinach and Paneer Stuffed Shells in Malai sauce has a similar sauce that makes an addictive meal too. Or add a little of curry powder or garam masala and make this Curried Alfredo Pasta for yet another comforting meal that you might want to make often.
This recipe uses shell pasta that is medium sized. Macaroni also works. Smaller pasta are ideal for this bake but penne or bowties can also be used instead.
Pasta, sauce, Malai paneer, and shredded mozzarella are layered in a dish just like how a lasagna is done. This makes it even better when you dig in and find layers of paneer, pasta covered in sauce, and the cheese stringy. Can you imagine anything even better than this? Well, this is it! Try this for once, and I can assure you that this will be repeated in your home just like in ours.
This comforting baked malai paneer pasta is a tasty meal that will make everyone go for seconds. It is a great choice to make when you are planning to feed for a crowd. The ingredient list may look long but it does take the same time as it would take for a simple layered pasta.
The ingredients are also most pantry staples. With bell peppers and paneer, a non-melting Indian cheese, whip up this delicious meal. With the colors of Christmas foods, this is an ideal one to make when you have vegetarian guests. Malai Paneer Tikka, Vegan Baby Potato Kurma, Vegan Coconut Milk Pulao, Eggless Peppermint Cake, White Chocolate and Candy Cane Kheer are also great options to make for christmas. This pasta dish is medium spicy. The Thai chili can be adjusted according to the preferred heat level. The leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days and will be handy when you have a busy day.
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Heat oil in a pan, add the cumin followed by half if the ginger-garlic paste. Cook for a minute. Add the onions and bell peppers , mix, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the salt, cumin, and coriander powder, followed by cream and paneer. Combine thoroughly and cook for 3 minutes.
Repeat the layers once again topping with another cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.
Priya Srinivasan - I Camp in My Kitchen says
Oh my god, that's a delish bake, looks super inviting and totally tempting! I bet my kids will go gaga over this delish cheesy pasta bake!
Rafeeda AR says
This is such an amazing way of combining the ever favorite malai paneer with pasta... Looks so so so tempting...
Rafeeda AR says
This is such an amazing way of combining the ever favorite malai paneer with pasta... Looks so so so tempting...
Rafeeda AR says
This is such an amazing way of combining the ever favorite malai paneer with pasta... Looks so so so tempting...