One-Pot Pasta Plate (with Extras)

The Kidlet was keen to do some cooking after school today, so we busted out the new kids' cookbook from America's Test Kitchen and picked out a recipe. She settled on a one-pot pasta with tomato sauce. TF and I found it pretty bland (NB: we did not include any of the "optional" ingredients), but the Kidlet loved it! She had three helpings of it for dinner. I'm hoping the leftovers will be equally popular in her lunch tomorrow.

Photo will go here if I remember to snap one before school tomorrow.

Protein

Grilled Chicken Breast Strips

I've taken to buying a package of pre-cooked chicken breast strips every now and again. The Kidlet likes them and they're a convenient and fairly healthy source of protein.

Starch

One-Pot Pasta with Tomato Sauce

Slightly adapted from The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs by America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (828mL/28 fl. oz.) can crushed tomatoes1
  • 1/4 tsp. sugar
  • 3 3/4 c. whole wheat penne pasta (or other shape of your choice)2
  • 3 c. water
  • 1/4 c. chopped fresh basil (optional)
  • 1 tsp. hot chile flakes (optional)
  • 1 c. shredded mozzarella (optional)
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

Directions

  1. Heat oil over medium heat for 1 minute.
  2. Add onion and salt and cook until softened (~5 mintues).
  3. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
  4. Pour in tomatoes and sugar, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.
  5. Add pasta and water and increase heat to medium-high. Cook until pasta is tender (7-14 minutes depending on shape).
  6. Stir in any additional seasonings or inclusions as desired (basil, chile flakes, cheese, salt, pepper).
  7. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Dairy

Cheese String

Haven't had a lot of success with dairy in the lunches so far. Sometimes Cheddar shapes or slices are a hit, sometimes they're left completely untouched. Banana yogurt is popular at home, but apparently completely unacceptable as a lunch inclusion. Pudding hasn't gone over well either. Cheese Strings seem to be back on the menu for now though, so we'll see how it goes.

Vegetable

Carrot Coins


Fruit

Fresh Strawberries

The Kidlet requested strawberries during our last grocery run. They're expensive this time of year, so I wouldn't want to make a habit of it. But I don't mind them as an occasional treat.


1 We didn't have any crushed tomatoes, so we used whole tomatoes. I just dumped them into a big bowl and gave the Kidlet a potato masher and told her to go to town. Worked great! Back
2 We used a mix of rotini and macaroni. Back

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