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Bright Vegetable Pasta

February 15, 2013

The idea for this recipe came from a weelicious reader who's child lives on this recipe and I love it. A lot.

At first look I figured it was way too many vegetables in one recipe for the average kid (coincidentally, I had recently been told by a 9 year old that "salad is death". Whoa!).

Yet when I made this recipe for my kids, what worked so well for them is that the vegetables are grated and chopped into such tiny pieces that everything in the dish is really easy to chew, especially for small mouths. Plus, in every bite they got a burst of sweet veggies brightened by a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese. Combined all together it's a really simple dish that even the most resistant vegetables eaters should be willing to try.

Veggie Pasta  (serves 4)

  • Prep Time:10 minutes,
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes,
  • Total Time: 20 minutes,

Ingredients

  • 2 cups mini pasta (such as wheels, penne, bowties or spirals)
  • 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup grated carrots
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped broccoli
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 1/2 cup packed fresh baby spinach
  • 2 - 3 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 small lemon)
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

  1. 1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid before draining.
  2. 2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, broccoli, and peas and saute another 3-5 minutes. Add the spinach and cook for 1 minute more.
  3. 3. Add the vegetables to the cooked pasta, toss with the lemon juice, parmesan cheese and reserved pasta water to combine thoroughly.

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Comments






  1. Jessica

    February 19, 2013 at 1:54 pm

    Perfect! A no sauce noodle dish I can serve my picky daycare kids without feeling guilty about :)

  2. Ashley

    February 16, 2013 at 8:38 pm

    My kiddos (5 and 2.5) really enjoyed this for dinner tonight! Though my 2.5 year old me pick out the spinach as per usual, but I keep putting on his plate in case he changes his mind like he has about lots of other vegetables. Thanks!

    • Ashley

      February 16, 2013 at 8:52 pm

      *had me!!

  3. Diana @ Eating Made Easy

    February 15, 2013 at 7:35 pm

    Cute kid dish!

  4. Gaby

    February 15, 2013 at 3:31 pm

    omg this is literally, no joke, what I ate as a child every day when I was growing up. I was a giant noodle. That’s all I would eat. And a few veggies too. Plus cheese. I love this!

  5. kiley

    February 15, 2013 at 2:49 pm

    I like this recipe also but don’t understand why you are using canola oil instead of olive or something much less processed.

    I am guessing the smoke point but all of these items will saute nicely in Olive oil as well.

    Just a thought.

    • catherine

      February 15, 2013 at 3:17 pm

      You can really use any oil you prefer! I like using a neutral flavored oil, but olive oil will definitely work!

      • kiley

        February 15, 2013 at 3:33 pm

        Thanks for the reply and keep the great tips and recipes coming!

  6. AlaskaSarah

    February 15, 2013 at 12:39 pm

    I am making this tonight! My son LOVES wheel pasta, and I have all of these ingredients in my house right now! Yay!