You are lucky if your kids eat their veggies without a fuss. But what do you do if they don’t. Make pasta and add loads of veggies in it. When it comes to kids, 8 out of 10 times you can’t go wrong with pasta. OK now I made that statistic up but you’ll agree most kids like pasta, right? :-) So far at least Devansh eats his vegetables like a good boy but I’ve been warned by veteran moms that this virtuous behavior may change as he grows up. I really hope not but then if it does, I’ll refer to this pasta recipe by Amala; this pasta sure has lots of yummy veggies. I think moms looking for kids’ lunchbox ideas will also find this recipe useful.
Amala stays in Doha, Qatar and is one of my most enthusiastic readers. She’s active on my Facebook page, and is also added in my personal friends list. And it’s because of this I came to know what an awesome cook she is. One day she put up an album on Facebook where she posted pics of some 15-20 delicacies. Those pics made me drool. But what amazed me was that not only did the food look yummylicious, the pics were very aesthetically shot. I also should commend Amala’s enthusiasm and time management skills.
Looking after a toddler single handedly while doing all your daily chores without the hired help’s support that we take so much for granted here in India is no mean feat. And on top of that, preparing all this yummy food, presenting it so well, and then clicking awesome snaps. I mean PHEW. How do you find the time, I asked her. I usually cook in the evening after my husband gets back from work, she answered. If it was me, I would have gladly handed my kid to hubby and indulged in some me-time. You inspire me Amala, and thanks for sharing this kid friendly pasta recipe with me.
Penna Pasta with White Sauce
Looking for kid-friendly, pasta recipes? Try this recipe of pasta with vegetables shared by Amala, a MumMumTime reader.
Ingredients
White Sauce
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp wheat flour
- 2 tbsp grated cheese
- 1 cup milk
Penne Pasta
- One and a half cup penne pasta
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves of garlic grated
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 cup chopped bell peppers Amala used red, green, and yellow bell peppers
- Half cup parboiled sweet corn
- 1 cup chopped mushrooms
- 2-3 tbsp grated cheese
- 1 tsp powdered dried herbs of your own choice
Instructions
White Sauce
- Heat a non-stick pan, and then add butter.
- Add wheat flour and sauté till it’s cooked properly to ensure you don’t get raw flour taste in the sauce. This should take about a minute or two.
- Add milk and mix properly to ensure no lumps remain in the mixture.
- Add grated cheese and keep stirring till you get the desired consistency, and then turn off heat.
- Penne Pasta
- Cook pasta as per the instructions on the packet. (Durum wheat pastas are easily available in the market these days. I would say opt for a healthy pasta instead of using the regular refined flour one.)
- Heat a pan, and add oil and butter.
- Add garlic and sauté it till it becomes golden brown.
- Add chopped onion, bell peppers, sweet corn, and mushrooms.
- Cook till the water evaporates from the pan. Keep stirring intermittently.
- Add white sauce, mix well, and then add salt, pepper, and powdered dried herbs.
- Add cooked pasta, allow it to cook for a minute, and then add half of grated cheese.
- Cook for a minute or two, and then transfer into a serving bowl.
- Add the remaining grated cheese on top, and then bake on high heat for 2-3 minutes to melt the cheese. (Or if you want to avoid the microwave, cover the bowl for 2-3 minutes to allow the cheese to melt.)
