Pasta is a great option for a family-friendly dinner, but you may well be getting tired of having the same tomato sauce over your spaghetti every other night. You can widen your pasta repertoire and keep your kids on board by trying one of these great, simple recipes.
Lemon and Wilted Greens
Ingredients (to serve 4):
- 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese
- 2 cups of fresh greens, such as spinach or arugula
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 2 tablespoons of pine nuts
- 3 cups of dried pasta, such as penne
Instructions:
- Boil the pasta according to packet instructions.
- Meanwhile, finely slice the garlic and fry it in the olive oil for 2-3 minutes, ensuring it doesn’t burn.
- Add the lemon zest to the garlic, and stir well.
- Add the greens to the lemon and garlic, stir well, and allow them to wilt.
- Add the lemon juice, ricotta, and pine nuts to the greens. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving about 2 tablespoons of the cooking water.
- Stir the greens and everything else into the pasta, mixing well to create a sauce using the cooking water.
Butter Bean and Tomato
Ingredients (to serve 4):
- 3 cups of spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 tin of butter beans
- 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup of milk
- 1/2 cup of vegetable stock
Instructions:
- Halve the onion, and then heat the bottom in a large saucepan and place the onion halves flat side down.
- After 5 minutes, move the onions around in the pan. Add the smoked paprika and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Next, add the vegetable stock, milk, and beans with their liquid. Put the lid on the pan, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for 25-30 minutes.
- Cook the pasta according to packet instructions, drain it, and then serve alongside the sauce.
Four Cheese Sauce
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of dried pasta
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 1/2 cups of milk
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- 1/2 cup each of blue cheese, cheddar, Comte, and mozzarella
- 1 tablespoon of wholegrain mustard
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup of spinach
Instructions:
- First, make the white sauce. Heat the butter over medium heat, and then stir the flour through it. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Gradually pour the milk into the pan, whisking as you go. Keep stirring and cook the sauce for a further 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in the mustard into the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Then, stir in the cheeses. Let the cheese melt, adding a little more milk if required.
- Cook the pasta according to packet instructions, reserving around 3 tablespoons of the cooking water when you drain it. Stir the spinach into the pasta and then add the sauce, so that the spinach wilts.