Recipe for Kids

Challenge picky eaters to eat their veggies with this kid-friendly veggie recipe.

Think you can’t serve vegetables other than corn and mashed potatoes to kids or picky eaters? This veggie side dishes and main dishes that sneak in veggies is worth a try on stubborn diners. When possible, let kids help out in the kitchen, challenge them to try new foods by taking them to the store and letting them pick a new veggie to try, or offer vegetables in new ways.

In this recipe for Pasta with Winter Squash and Pine Nuts, butternut squash breaks down as it cooks to create a smooth, hearty sauce for the pasta. Pasta, a pro at pleasing kids, dressed with a vegetable-based sauce, is sure to please veggie-seeking parents and picky kids all at once.

Pasta with Winter Squash and Pine Nuts

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup pasta mixture and 2 teaspoons cheese)

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons  butter
• 2  tablespoons  pine nuts, toasted
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh sage
• 1  teaspoon  olive oil
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 2 1/2  cups  water, divided
• 1  pound  butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and shredded
• 1  teaspoon  sugar
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  black pepper
• 12  ounces  uncooked penne (tube-shaped pasta)
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) finely shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

Preparation

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Add pine nuts and sage; remove from heat. Remove from pan, and set aside.
Heat olive oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic to pan, and sauté 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 cup water and squash to pan. Cook for 12 minutes or until water is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Add remaining water, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring occasionally until each portion of water is absorbed before adding the next (about 15 minutes). Stir in sugar, salt, and pepper.
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Combine pasta and squash mixture in a large bowl. Add reserved 1/2 cup pasta water, butter mixture, and 3/4 cup cheese; toss well. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Serve immediately.