Tag: pasta

Creamy Pasta with Broccoli and Chick’n

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Creamy Pasta Version 2

The kids loved a recent creamy pasta recipe, so I mixed things up with this variation to keep it novel. You can use all broccoli, all cauliflower, or a mix of the two.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup non-dairy ranch dressing
  • 3 tablespoons oat milk
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 14/ teaspoon mustard
  • 2 cups cooked rotini pasta
  • 1 cup cooked and finely chopped broccoli and cauliflower florets
  • 4 ounces cooked and finely chopped Gardein chick’n strips
  1. Whisk together the mayonnaise, dressing, milk, vinegar, and mustard in a large bowl.
  2. Add the cooked pasta, broccoli/cauliflower, and chick’n, stirring to coat. Serve warm or chilled!

For a Mediterranean spin on the pasta, omit the broccoli and chick’n, and instead stir in 1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts, 1/2 cup sliced black olives, and 1/2 cup cooked zucchini (or summer squash).

Creamy Mediterranean Pasta

Creamy Pasta Salad

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Creamy Pasta Salad a

A creamy dressing is a nice way to dress up pasta, making this one appeal to the whole family!

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup non-dairy ranch or goddess dressing
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon mustard
  • 1 and 1/2 cups rotini pasta
  • 1/2 cup chopped carrot
  • 1 cup chopped cucumber
  • 1/2 cup quarter cherry tomatoes
  1. In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, dressing, milk, vinegar, and mustard. Set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta and carrots in boiling water for about 7 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente and the carrots are tender. Drain.
  3. Add the pasta mixture to the bowl with the dressing, along with the cucumber and tomatoes.

Creamy Pasta Salad b

Orzo with Creamy Tomato Spinach Sauce

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Orzo with Spinach Sauce alt.JPG

Relying on jarred marinara sauce as the base of this recipe makes it a cinch, but it sneaks in extra nutrition for your little ones!

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup pasta sauce
  • 1/4 cup silken tofu
  • 1/4 cup frozen spinach
  • 2/3 cup uncooked orzo
  1. Combine the first three ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
  2. Transfer the sauce to a saucepan and heat until warm.
  3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions. Stir the orzo into the sauce, and let cool slightly before serving.

Orzo with Spinach Sauce

Whole Wheat Shells with Marinara Sauce

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Shells with Marinara (2)

This super-simple marinara recipe has just a touch of sweetness. In other words, perfect for babies eating pasta with tomato-based sauce for the first time!

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 minced garlic clove
  • 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 6 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon agave nectar
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Cooked whole wheat pasta shells
  1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
  2. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, agave, basil, and oregano. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour, as the sauce thickens.
  3. Serve over cooked pasta shells of choice! We like the very small cavatelli that are just the right size for little fingers.

Shells with Marinara (1)

Rotini with Bolognese Sauce

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Rotini Bolognese (2)

Serve this easy vegan bolognese with whole wheat pasta or any of the new chickpea or lentil pasta on the market. It’ll pack a big protein punch for little eaters.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons Earth Balance butter
  • 1/2 Vidalia onion
  • 1 celery stalk
  • 12 ounces meatless crumbles (such as Lightlife)
  • 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • Rotini pasta
  • Vegan Parmesan sprinkles
  1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Dice the onion and celery and add to the pot; cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the meatless crumbles; cook for 4 minutes.
  4. Stir in the tomato sauce and tomato paste; cook for a final 3 to 4 minutes, until heated through.
  5. Meanwhile, cook your favorite rotini pasta according to package directions. Serve the sauce over the pasta, and sprinkle with the Parmesan to taste.

For little ones who are Baby Led Weaning, you can serve piles of the sauce next to pieces of cooked pasta for a more deconstructed version.

Rotini Bolognese (1)

 

 

Sensory Activity: Dry Pasta Noodles

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Sensory Dry Pasta (1)

The last time I gave Veronika pasta as a sensory item, it was cooked and she was tiny (she looks so little even though this was only 5 months ago!) Now for my bigger girl, the item of the day was dry pasta! I’ve seen sensory bins like this done with dried macaroni, but I chose larger cavatappi noodles just in case she tried to eat one. Little did I know how much fun would be had with this simple activity!

I set out a bin with the pasta, along with a few containers that it could be scooped into, a big plastic spoon, and a larger jug.

Sensory Dry Pasta (1)

Veronika instantly knew she wanted to transfer the pasta to the jug but couldn’t quite figure out the mechanics.

Sensory Dry Pasta (2)

I helped her along with the ladle. What fun when it landed in the jug with a plink!

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The smaller containers I had set out were great for scooping up pasta. With the lids on, these were just like maracas.

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Veronika also loved transferring pasta piece by piece from the small container back to the big bin. Over and over!

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What I hadn’t anticipated was how much even my 5 year old would love this sensory tray!

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He loved filling the jug, shaking it, and playing some imaginary game involving the pasta pieces. Soon they were happily sharing, and I loved seeing them play together.

Sensory Dry Pasta (8)

Once the jug was all filled up, Veronika looked so pleased!

Sensory Dry Pasta (9)

Pasta Play

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Pasta Play (4)

Looking for the perfect sensory game for your baby? Look no further than cooked pasta from your pantry! As soon as your baby can pick up food and chew, you can safely play this texture game.

I cooked a batch of rotini pasta, figuring the swirls and ridges would make for the most exciting texture. Let cool completely, then set out a bowl or strainer of the pasta for your little one. It helps to have a blanket underneath – this game is about to get messy!

Pasta Play (1)

Veronika got her hands right in there.

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First we simply talked about texture. I used words like soft, squishy, and cool to describe the noodles that she pulled up by the handful.

Pasta Play (3)

Picking up individual pieces is great for developing her pincher grip.

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She also loved scattering them about on the blanket.

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And of course a few made their way up to her mouth!

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In sum, this is simple fun, as cheap as it comes and perfect for kicking off a summer of play!

Easy Goulash

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Goulash.JPG

I’ve been looking for a way to beef up Travis’s pasta dinners, and it turns out that adding vegan, well, beef, did the trick! This is a simplified take on the Hungarian dish of goulash. Parents magazine tells us the stew dates back to the ninth century, and we were more than happy to eat this updated version.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 (14-ounce) package ground meatless beef (such Lightlife Smart Ground)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 8 ounces ditalini pasta
  • 1/2 cup shredded Daiya cheddar
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until softened. Break the beef into crumbles and add to the pan; cook for an additional 5 minutes, until browned.
  2. Stir in the tomato paste, then add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, water, oregano, and paprika. Bring to a boil.
  3. Stir in the ditalini; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, until the pasta is tender.
  4. Ladle onto plates or bowls, and top the servings evenly with the cheese.

 

Creamy Squash Pasta Bake

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This homey casserole is perfect for chilly autumn nights! This time of year, consider using 1 and 1/2 cups pureed fresh butternut squash, but the canned version will do in a pinch.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound penne pasta
  • 4 tablespoons Earth Balance butter
  • 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 and 1/2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 cups shredded Daiya cheddar
  • 1 (15-ounce) can butternut squash
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  1. Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain and return to the pan.
  2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 30 seconds.
  3. Whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking frequently.
  4. Once at a boil, remove from heat and stir in the mustard, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cheese, stirring until melty. Stir in the squash.
  5. Toss together the squash mixture and cooked pasta, then transfer to a 13×9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the panko.
  6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, until bubbly.

Squash Pasta (1)

 

Cold Peanutty Pasta

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Peanutty Pasta (5)

I love getting my little chef into the kitchen for each month’s recipe from High Five magazine, and this month featured a perfect summer pasta, meant to be eaten cold or at room temperature. The recipe was a great chance to hone skills including whisking and chopping with a butter knife. Plus, we got to use neat ingredients like fresh ginger root! Here’s my chef, excited to start.

Peanutty Pasta (1)

Adults, cook 8 ounces spaghetti according to package directions. Reserve about 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain the remaining pasta water and rinse the spaghetti well with cold water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, have your little chef help you combine the following in a bowl:

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

2 tablespoons tahini

1 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon sugar

Peanutty Pasta (2)

Add about 6 tablespoons reserved pasta water to the mixture, and whisk until combined. If the sauce is still thick, add another tablespoon or two of the water.

Travis was so excited to try his hand at a butter knife for the next step. I cut a cucumber into rounds, and let him cut each round into quarters.

Peanutty Pasta (3)

In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, chopped cucumbers, 1/2 cup chopped peanuts, and the peanut sauce, tossing well to coat.

Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Note: To make the recipe nut-free, simply omit the chopped peanuts and use all tahini in place of the chunky peanut butter.

Peanutty Pasta (4)