What kid doesn't love pasta (and what mom doesn't love the simplicity of its preparation)? Amanda Haas of One Family One Meal [1] (and author of Real Family Food: Simple & Easy Recipes Your Whole Family Will Love [2]) is of the mind that one healthy, well-balanced meal should be able to satisfy parents and kids alike. It's a simple concept that may take some fine-tuning to enact in your kitchen, but we're here to help.
Keep reading for five of Amanda's favorite pasta recipes, all ideal for feeding a family (with leftovers to spare!).
Supersimple Pasta With Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
If you have leftover chicken, put it to use with this pasta recipe [3]. Feel free to add anything additional you have in the kitchen that sounds good to you!
Corkscrew Pasta With Versatile Pesto Sauce
This pesto [4] is also delicious over seared chicken with a piece of fresh mozzarella melted over the top. Heavenly! If you'd like to use gluten-free pasta, purchase Bionaturae or Ancient Harvest pasta.
Simple Veggie-Packed Pasta
When stuck in a rut with pasta and basic tomato sauce, turn to veggies. Sautéed in a little olive oil with lemon juice, this combination [5] is great as a "sauce" on its own. It's a wonderful way to enjoy seasonal flavors and get some color into your family's diet. Make it a gluten-free option by using gluten-free pasta.
Ooey-Gooey Cheesy Stuffed Shells
Who doesn't love stuffed shells? Loaded with cheese and tomato sauce, this pasta dish [6] is a total crowd-pleaser. To change it up, you can add a little ground beef or different herbs to the sauce. Also, it's easy to double the recipe and freeze one batch.
A Fun Spin on Spaghetti and Meatballs
Amy Klein, the executive chef of Revolution Foods [7], is known for her ability to get her children to eat just about anything. One of Amy's family's go-to recipes are these wagon wheels with meatballs [8].