Italian Penne Pasta with Garlic Infused Olive Oil on Bread

This recipe goes out to my sister, Jesi, who used to make homemade pasta all the time. It was her favorite. I never really had a chance to make pasta because she always made extra for me. Here's to you Jesi ...

2 pouches of tomato puree (Mine are pretty small so one can should be good)
1 cup whole wheat penne pasta
olive oil
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp red chili powder
2 green chilies
8 garlic cloves (about 6 for sauce; other 2 for bread)
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp dry italian seasoning
Chopped cilantro for garnish
Shredded cheese for garnish
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped lengthwise, then chopped in half once more
1/2 carrot, chopped lengthwise, then chopped in half once more
1/2 onion, chopped lengthwise, then chopped in half once more
3-4 slices bread

1. First, boil a pot of water on high heat. When boiling temperature, add in the penne pasta, little bit of salt and olive oil. It will take about 7-10 minutes to become al dente.
2. Then, drain the pasta in colander. Run under cold water so that the pasta does not stick together. Keep aside.
3. Then, I started on the sauce. Heat olive oil in skillet. When hot, add in the garlic-green chili paste and onions. Sautee for about a minute.
4. Then add in the chopped green bell peppers and carrots and sauteed all the veggies. Close lid for a few minutes to cook.
5. Open lid and add in the tomato puree and a bit of water. Also add in the spices (red chili powder, salt, sugar, black pepper and italian seasoning).
6. Allow the puree to come to a boil so all the flavors come together. It will take atleast 5 minutes.
7. Then add in the boiled pasta. Mix the pasta with the sauce, close lid and cook for a few minutes. Reduce heat, add the chopped cilantro and simmer for 5 minutes. Pasta is ready! (If you have some cilantro chutney laying around, a tsp or two would taste very good in the sauce.)
8. To make the bread, crush 2 cloves of garlic. Add a few tbsp of olive oil and mix together to infuse oil with garlic. Then, spread the garlic infused oil onto the bread slices.
9. Heat up a skillet and toast both sides of the bread. The bread can also be baked in the toaster over until bread is toasted.
10. Finally, garnish pasta with a bit of shredded cheese and red pepper flakes and serve with the bread. Enjoy!

* The sauce came out thicker than we preferred so next time I will use only one pouch of the puree and use 2-3 fresh tomatoes instead. Besides the little extra black pepper, the flavor of the pasta was very delicious! Believe me, I licked my bowl clean!