Paneer Makhani Baked Ziti

Step 1

Melt the ghee in a Dutch oven.

Step 2

Add bay leaf, cardamom, onions, serrano and salt and cook for 8 minutes.

Step 3

Also add the ginger and garlic and cook, until fragrant 2 minutes. Add turmeric, chili, tandoori and cumin-coriander powders and cook spices for a minute.

Step 4

Now add the pasta sauce, water u0026 salt. Let it simmer for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the stove and fish out the bay leaf and cardamom.

Step 5

Puree the sauce using immersion blender and blend until smooth. Add cream, cilantro, garam masala, kasoori methi and brown sugar and simmer for another 3-4 minutes.

Step 6

In a large skillet heat ghee. add onions, garlic and Jalapeño and cook for a few minutes until they are soft. Add bell peppers and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Step 7

Add chili powder, tandoori and cumin-coriander powder and cook all the spices for a minute.

Step 8

Add paneer u0026 spinach and gently fold in until all of the seasonings are well incorporated into the paneer. Cover the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes and stir in cilantro. Keep it aside.

Step 9

Boil pasta accord to package direction. Keep it al-dente.

Step 10

Heat the oven to 350° f

Step 11

Spread a small layer of the sauce on the bottom of baking dish(9x13). Top with half of the cooked pasta, spread the paneer/veggie mixture, spreading evenly across the entire dish.

Step 12

Now top with more sauce and half of mozzarella cheese on the sauce in an even layer.

Step 13

Cover with the remaining pasta and then the remaining sauce. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake until bubbling for about 25 minutes. Let it rest for 5 minutes and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Step 14

Serve with my Chili-Garlic Cheese Naan Bites u0026 Enjoy!!