I can tempt my daughter (who’s almost 4) into eating a carrot with some serious bribery or distraction, but my little boy (who’s not yet 2), just turns his head with a decisive ‘NO’, any time there’s anything that grew in the ground coming his way. But both my kids will eat pasta, any time, any day, any where. So, like many a wiser mum before me, I just hide the veggies in the pasta sauce.
The genius of these meals is that if you make one sauce and freeze it, you can spin it out through the week as different meals. So here you go, the best pasta recipes for fussy little critters who won’t eat their veggies…
Monday: Spaghetti
This pasta sauce recipe uses vegetables that are undetectable by savvy children, egg plant and zucchini. Just peel all skin off before using. This recipe is enough for 5 dinners and can be stored in the freezer until needed.
Get the recipe here.
Tuesday: Tuna Pasta Bake
This is one of my favourite pasta bake recipes. It’s so simple and I love taking the leftovers to work the next day.
Get the recipe here.
Wednesday: Chicken Fettuccine
Chicken is a delicious addition to pasta sauce. For fussy kids, serve the chicken pieces separately.
Get the recipe here.
Thursday: Penne with peas and corn
This dish looks amazing thanks to the colours of the peas and corn. If your children are extra fussy, serve the vegetables on the side. Even if they don’t eat them, it’s important to keep offering them. One day they might surprise you.
Get the recipe here.
Friday: Easy Gnocchi
This dish is the most time consuming. Don’t be daunted. Even if it doesn’t turn out perfectly at first, it will still taste delicious and it reheats the next day beautifully. Plus, it adds one more vegetable to your children’s dinner – potato.
Get the recipe here.
What are your favourite pasta recipes?
Top Comments
Thank you for sharing the budget / bulk cooking recipe. We're starting a $150 budget for our family of 4 this weekend, so this was perfectly timed. Any other recipes like this would be greatly appreciated!