Pasta is one of the most versatile of ingredients. With its bland taste and texture, you can mix it into anything and make sure it tastes delightful every single time. There are countless pasta recipes available and for this particular cookbook, we zeroed in on a specific group to serve the kids!
Believe it or not, it is not as easy to put together a pasta cookbook with recipes that kids will surely love. They are the hardest to please, actually. But with our brilliant takes on the classics using a few fun pasta shapes in the process we are able to come up with 30 delightful and kid-friendly pasta dishes. We made sure these recipes are not only attractive enough for the kids to keep filling up their plates but are also healthy, with veggies and other nutritious notes hidden here and there. Here is the listing:
Rainbow Spaghetti
When spaghetti is so mundane, we made a brightly colored dish that tastes the same but has a greater impact: Rainbow Spaghetti. This could be the same classic recipe your mom used to cook for you while growing up but entice this new generation of eaters; we slipped in a few drops of food-grade coloring to boost its lovely appeal.
Serving Size:
Prep Time: 20 mins
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
- 6 pcs food-grade coloring (10 drops each of red, green, yellow, orange, blue, purple)
- lb. lean ground beef
- 2 pcs hotdogs, sliced diagonally
- 1 pc onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 12oz spaghetti sauce
- 1/3 cup Parmesan, freshly grated
- 3 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 cup water, divided
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. Divide cooked spaghetti between 6 resealable plastic bags together with 2 tablespoons of water and 10 drops of food coloring each. Toss to coat and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium fire and saut onions and garlic until fragrant.
3. Add ground beef and hotdog slices, then, stir to brown evenly.
4. Pour spaghetti sauce and stir to blend. Turn heat to low and let it simmer for a few minutes.
5. Remove spaghetti from the bags and rinse with cold water.
6. Toss spaghetti into the pan together with cheese, and a sprinkle of some salt and pepper.
7. Sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese to garnish before serving.
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Adding veggies into the pasta dish is something that you can do to make it healthier and tastier for example, this Mac and Cheese recipe with butternut squash. The squash is added not just to make it more nutritious but sweeter as well. The natural sweetness of the squash simply enhances the taste of the dish.
Serving Size:
Prep Time: 35 mins
Ingredients:
- 2 cups macaroni, cooked according to package directions
- 1 pc butternut squash, halved, seeded
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
- 7oz whole milk
- 1 tbsp butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Put the butternut squash in a baking tray, cut side up, and place in the oven for about half an hour or until super tender.
3. Scoop the flesh out and place it into a blender or food processor after the squash is done.
4. Stir in cheese, milk, and butter and pulse until smooth. Add a splash of milk to loosen the mixture as needed.
5. Toss cooked macaroni with prepared butternut squash sauce.
6. Serve and enjoy.
Mexican Pasta Salad
Here is a playful pasta salad oozing with Mexican flavors and some brightly colored ingredients. This dish is so attractive and it is super healthy, too. It is packed with vegetables that offer substantial health benefits, especially for young kids. Heres how you make it!
Serving Size:
Prep Time: 20 mins
Ingredients:
- Salt and pepper to taste
- lb. seashell pasta, cooked according to package directions
- 1-14oz can black beans
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1 pc green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2 pcs onions, chopped
- cup black olives
- 1-14.5oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
- cup salsa
- 1 tbsp taco mix
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a pan over medium fire and saut the onions for about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in corn kernels, black beans, bell pepper, olives, tomatoes, and salsa. Sprinkle taco seasoning, plus salt and pepper to taste.