Getting kids to eat their vegetables has always been an ongoing battle. I was a living example. I used to detest eating fibrous part of those pesky greens or really any other parts that didn’t resemble the leaves. Those were donkey years ago and now, I can’t live without my greens at every meal. Okay, enough about me.
Gone are the days when children actually believe spinach would make them as strong as Popeye. I know mine doesn’t. I believe the main reason children (since toddler’s age) dislike vegetables is partly because of taste. Most vegetables, especially in raw state, have a rather unappealing taste and texture to our palate. Desperate parents (I was one of them) would try to “hide” the vegetables in their children’s meal by blending everything together, hoping they wouldn’t notice and make it into their tummies. Alternatively, they would end up making pasta with tomato-based sauces like Bolognese (minced meat sauce) for their kids, since tomatoes are also considered as “vegetables”.
If you are looking for a quick, easy and tasty alternative for the family (yes, adults love this dish too), I highly recommend you to give this a go. By dicing the vegetables finely, they not only cook faster but also go down better into their stomachs. I also used tri-color shell pasta to keep the colors interesting.
Ingredients:
Elbow / shell pasta (50 – 75 g per person) ½ yellow onion – diced finely ½ zucchini – diced finely Handful of edamame peas or green peas 4 strips bacon – diced ½ cup (150 ml) chicken or vegetable stock Pinch of salt Olive oil ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Serves 2 – 3
Boil the pasta in salted water according to package’s instruction.
In a large pan, heat up 2 tbsp olive oil and add in onions and zucchini. Cook under medium heat for about 2 minutes.
Add in bacon and edamame peas and cook for another minute.
Add in pinch of salt, stock and bring to boil. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Add in the pasta and toss them until most of the sauce is absorbed. Mix in the grated parmesan cheese and serve.
Full Instructions:
Boil the pasta in salted water according to package’s instruction.
In a large pan, heat up 2 tbsp olive oil and add in onions and zucchini. Cook under medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add in bacon and edamame peas and cook for another minute. Add in pinch of salt, stock and bring to boil. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Add in the pasta and toss them until most of the sauce is absorbed. Mix in the grated parmesan cheese and serve.
Photo Credit: Images used with permission from BearNakedFood
Recipe Credit: BearNakedFood
About Rachelle Young-Ng: Editor-in-Chief at Bear Naked Food. Bear is her moniker. Food is something she lives to eat (alot).
About BearNakedFood: A food recipe blog that makes sense.
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