My kids love pasta dinners. These meals are comforting and filling, especially after a long day of school, work and afternoon activities! I love cooking pasta, not only because my kids love the recipes but also because they’re not complicated to cook.
You can also include lots of vegetables into pasta dishes, it’s easy to hide large quantities of spinach, onions, peppers and other ingredients.
October is National Pasta Month!!
Gigli Pasta with Green Peas
Gigli is such a pretty pasta, looks like a pretty flower or bell shape. I love cooking gigli pasta with green peas as the green highlights perfectly the shape of the pasta. Plus, it’s fun to eat!!
Get Recipe: Gigli Pasta with Green Peas
Cacio e Pepe with Bucatini Pasta
Cacio e Pepe (pasta cooked with cheese and pepper) is such a classic Italian pasta dish. There’s a little technique involved in getting the pasta creamy and delicious, otherwise it’s one of the easiest pasta dishes to cook. I replaced the classic pasta of this dish with bucatini!
Get Recipe: Bucationi Cacio e Pepe
Sausage Pasta with Spinach and Mushrooms
Skillet dinners are just the easiest dinners to make. Imagine a deep skillet filled with your favorite sausage, pasta, spinach and mushrooms. Kids won’t even notice the veggies in this dish because they’ll be busy gobbling it down. Best part, you can add as much spinach as you want since it wilts down so fast.
Get Recipe: Sausage Pasta with Spinach and Mushrooms
Turkey & Spinach Pasta Bake with Penne Pasta
You can make this dish after Thanksgiving with leftover turkey or you can make this dish with shredded rotisserie chicken. It’s pretty much dump and bake with little effort, that’s why I love this recipe.
Get Recipe: Turkey Pasta Bake Casserole
Shell Pasta in Butternut Squash
Butternut squash is not good just in soups. You can make thick sauces with it and my favorite is this sauce I use to make shell pasta with. The shells get filled with this creamy and luscious sauce that explodes in your mouth as you are biting on it. Don’t skimp on the cheese. It ties everything together:).
Get Recipe: Shell Pasta in Butternut Squash Sauce
Bucatini in a Beef and Mushrooms Sauce
When I feel more adventurous with our dinner, I make this pasta dish with a beef and mushrooms sauce. Usually I use ground beef and lots of fresh ingredients. Then I mix in the skillet with al dente bucatini or favorite pasta. It is so yummy!!
Get Recipe: Bucatini in Beef and Mushrooms Sauce
Baked Ziti Casserole with Ground Beef
This baked ziti dish is layered similar to a lasagna. There are meat sauce layers made with ground beef. Then there are various shredded cheese layers as well as the ziti layers. But my secret to the deliciousness of this recipe is a layer made with a mix of ricotta and cottage cheese. It really enhances the flavor so much and it compliments all the other flavors.
Get Recipe: Baked Ziti
Tortellini Soup
I often get a little sick when weather changes and my asthma flares up. I find that soup dinners on those nights are easier for me to make, but also so good!! It might be a placebo effect, but I immediately feel a bit better after enjoying a warm bowl of soup.
I make this soup with sausage and tortellini, plus lots of veggies for flavor and nutritious values.
Get Recipe: Tortellini Soup
Chicken Pastina Soup
Chicken soups with any type of pasta, noodles or even rice are just fantastic meals on a cold winter night. This chicken pastina soup is no exception! My kids love it and I make it anytime I find pastina in stores, even though lately it’s not so easy. When I can’t find pastina, I make this soup with orzo. It’s not the same thing, but it works well as a substitute.
Don’t forget the lemon as it makes all the difference in this soup!
Get Recipe: Chicken Pastina Soup
Easy Stelline Soup
Stelline pasta are small pastas in star shapes. My kids love star pastas in soups and they won’t complain that their pasta is swimming next to some veggies:). It’s really a great soup that is also fun to eat!
Get Recipe: Easy Stelline Soup
Bolivian Aji de Fideos
My husband was born in Bolivia and has lived here in Miami most of his life. We often try to cook food from his country of birth and use recipes that his mom or grandma handed over. We make this Bolivian Aji de Fideos dish (we make it not too spicy because of the kids) with beef, green peas and a great, tasty broth. You can’t get enough of this pasta dish!
Get Recipe: Bolivian Spicy Pasta Dish
Rigatoni Cooked in Roasted Red Pepper Sauce with Ricotta
Often times, I’d roast veggies like red peppers or eggplant and make pasta sauces out of them. This specific recipe is how I make a pasta sauce out of roasted red peppers and ricotta, then use rigatoni for a perfect dinner with this sauce.
Get Recipe: Rigatoni in Roasted Red Pepper Sauce with Ricotta
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