If anyone has mastered the art of getting their kid’s to seamlessly eat their vegetables, please let me know your secrets. I have yet to get there with my children. But as frustrating as it can be, I still serve it to them every single night in hopes that one day they learn to love their veggies. Growing up, my mother always had at least one green on our kitchen table, whether I ate it or not. Over time, and now into my adulthood, healthy foods have become a huge party of my life. I’m hoping it will be the same for them!
With my own children, I always strive to encourage healthy eating in a balanced way – not too tough, not too lenient. I have done the “hidden veggies” trick in foods like marinara sauce, smoothies etc, but I’m pretty sure my children have a future in food tasting – nothing can get past them! With that said, now that they are getting older, I truly feel that the best course of action for us is to keep those healthy foods in front of them as much as possible because I believe they are more likely to eat those healthy foods if they see them, instead of me being sneaky about it. Thankfully they do eat those veggies about 50% of the time. I’m not pushing too hard, but I’m hopeful we will get to an easier place with time.
Thankfully, my kids and I can agree upon one thing – Pasta! I love making pasta with fresh veggies, or pasta primavera, because it’s quick, simple and really flavorful! You can add in nearly any veggie you have on hand and it will turn out delicious!
Ingredients:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, about 1/2 cup
Paprika
Salt & Pepper
Fresh Garlic (4-5 cloves)
Bell peppers (red/yellow/orange), sliced
Zucchini, thinly sliced in quarters
Red Onion
Grape Tomatoes
Broccoli
Fusili Pasta
Shredded Mozzarella (optional)
Directions:
In your pan (I use my cast iron pan), drizzle olive oil and add your peppers, onions, zucchini and grape tomatoes. Sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper. Sauté until browned and softened. You can add more olive oil as needed.
On a baking sheet, add broccoli florets. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika. I prefer to cook my broccoli separately because I love roasted broccoli. Bake in the oven on 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes (usually about the time it takes for the veggies to cook on the stove).
Boil a pot of water for your pasta and cook to taste. I prefer my pasta a little al dente, or on the firmer side. Drain and set aside.
Once veggies are cooked to your desired texture (I prefer my veggies soft), combine veggies together and set aside. In a separate pan, add olive oil, garlic and sauté for your pasta “sauce” base. Once garlic is sautéed, add your drained pasta and mix together. Then, add in the veggies and mix together.
I top my pasta with shredded mozzarella while hot to make it creamy and cheesy. I also love adding a dollop of ricotta on the side.
I love pairing pasta with fresh garlic bread or bruschetta.
I hope you try this easy pasta primavera with your own family! My kids actually eat the vegetables in this primavera dish because the peppers make everything sweet! It’s meals like this that give me hope that my kiddos will learn to love veggies as much as I do!
