Baked Spaghetti with Cheese Balls in Spinach Sauce

Friends are extended family. The best part is there are no protocols between friends. The best of friends are those who accept you as you are and with whom there need not be any pretensions. They encourage, motivate and counsel you at times of need. And at times, they inspire too. One such friend of mine is Anita Menon. She blogs here and here. ( Check out her blog for some amazing recipes and a wonderful novel in progress. You never know, you might be reading the next best seller for free and and as and when it is being written..).We chat with each other almost every day but we rarely get to meet in person though we stay pretty close to each other. There is something more alluring and personal in meeting friends over lunch and catching up. We decided to catch up over lunch at my place. We had a wonderful time, almost the entire afternoon, catching up with each other and watching our 2 year olds interact with each other in their own ways.

I decided to try something new that day and decided on the Baked Spaghetti with cheese balls in Spinach Sauce along with Mexican Tomato Salsa. I rounded up with Vegan Brownies for dessert. And sweet that she is, Anita baked a loaf of wholemeal bread for me.

So, without much ado, here goes the recipe:

Baked Spaghetti with Cheese Balls in Spinach Sauce

Recipe Source: Baked Dishes by Tarla Dalal

For the Spaghetti

400 gms Spaghetti, cooked as per instructions on the pack

1/4 cup chopped onions

1 and 1/2 tsp chopped green chillies

1 Tbsp butter

salt to taste

For the cheese balls

1 and 1/2 cups panner

2 slices bread

3 tbsp yoghurt/curd

1 tbsp chopped coriander

1-2 chopped green chillies

4 tbsp  All purpose flour

1/4 tsp Baking soda

salt to taste

For the spinach sauce

1 cup blanched and chopped spinach

1/2 cup fresh cream

1 cup milk

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp all purpose flour

Salt and pepper to taste

Others

1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Oil for deep frying

Method 

For the Spaghetti

1. Heat the butter in a pan , add the onions and saute till they turn translucent. keep aside.

2. Add the green chillies, spaghetti and salt. Mix well and cook for about a minute.

For the Spinach Sauce

1. Prepare the white sauce – Heat 1 tbsp of butter in a pan and the flour and cook on a slow fame. Stir continuously till froth appears. Add the milk gradually and keep stirring till the sauce thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Blend the blanched and chopped spinach, the white sauce, cream to a fine puree. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For the Cheese balls:

1.Soak the bread slices in curd for 10 minutes.

2. Crumble the paneer and knead it very well

3. Add the soaked bread slices, coriander, plain flour, green chillies, all purpose flour, Baking soda and salt.

4. Mix well and shape into balls. Deep fry them till they turn golden brown,

5. Drain and keep aside.

Procedure:

1. Combine the spaghetti with the spinach sauce and mix well

2. Spread the mixture on a greased baking dish and arrange the cheese balls on top.

3. Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake ina pre heated oven at 200 C for about 20 minutes.

Serve hot.

Thank you Anu,  for the lovely pictures !!!