Creamy Vegetable Pasta

👍 Why You Should Make This Pasta!

Comfort food- Our creamy vegetable pasta is belly-warming and the ultimate comfort food for the whole family.

Basic Ingredients- You are likely to have many of the ingredients in your panty or fridge/freezer.

Quick- Like all of our recipes, this creamy vegetable pasta can be made in 28 mins or less.

Veggies! This pasta dish is packed with veggies in a savory cheese sauce, so kids will get important nutrients while enjoying the creamy flavor of this dish.

ONE pot! You'll only need ONE pot for this dish. Minimal mess, minimal cleanup!

🛒 Ingredients

Notes on Ingredients:

Pasta- Small pasta (i.e. shells, macaroni or orecchiette) work great for this dish.

Onion & garlic- We think this adds a nice flavor, but skip or use onion and garlic powder if you are short on time.

Broth- We recommend Better than Bouillon. It's a condensed stock that comes in a tiny jar. Three benefits: (1) cuts back on space in the fridge, (2) saves money, (3) less waste/recycling on your conscience. The product comes in lots of flavors (chicken, beef, mushroom, etc.), with some varieties available in vegetarian, low sodium and organic.

Sour cream, milk, cheese- These dairy ingredients give the pasta its creamy texture and flavor, but feel free to choose lite versions if you want a lighter meal.

Mixed frozen veggies- We like a mixture of peas, green beans, corn and carrots, but many types of frozen veggies will work. Broccoli florets are also a great option.

👩🏾‍🍳 How to Make This Pasta

Step 1: Cook onion and garlic in oil.

🥄 Kids Step: Help chop onion and garlic. We’re big fans of these Curious Chef kid-s afe knives.

Step 2: Add broth, bring to a boil, and cook noodles.

🥄 Kids Step: Taste pasta to see if done. Kids love this job!

Step 3: Stir in veggies, seasoning, sour cream, milk and cheese, and cook for 5-10 mins.

🥄 Kids Step: Stir in frozen veggies. Our kids liked seeing how the veggies added color.

✔️ Expert Tips & Tricks

• Make sure there is enough broth to just cover the pasta. Feel free to add more as needed.
• Be careful not to overcook the pasta so that it doesn't become mushy. We recommend smaller pastas which are less likely to stick to the pan and tend to cook more evenly.
• If you want to add protein, chicken is an extremely delicious addition to this dish!

❓FAQs

Can I use whole wheat pasta for this dish?Yes, whole wheat pasta works well. We just recommend a small whole-wheat pasta.

Can I freeze this creamy vegetable pasta dish?Yes, this creamy vegetable pasta freezes nicely in an air tight container. We recommend cooking your pasta separate from the sauce if you plan to freeze this dish. That way, the pasta won't be mushy from having absorbed the sauce.

What are the best frozen vegetables for this dish?We like a frozen veggie mix of peas, green beans, corn and carrots, but many types of frozen veggies will work, including broccoli florets.

How can I make this dish gluten-free?To make this dish gluten-free, simply use a gluten-free pasta. We like Ancient Harvest quinoa pasta (just be careful not to overcook cause it can get mushy) and Trader Joe's Organic Brown Rice & Quinoa Fusilli Pasta. Another option is rice noodles. You should also double check the ingredients in the chicken broth you're using. Some broths and stocks contain gluten or traces of gluten.

👶🏾 Tips for Picky Eaters

Kids pick the noodles. Let your kids select the pasta. Any small pasta with grooves works really well, i.e. shells, macaroni, orecchiette, farfalle (bowtie), rotini, etc.

Make a face! Some kids can't handle sauces with potentially unidentifiable ingredients. To ease this, have fun and make a face on their plate with the food. I made eyes and nose with dollops of the sauce mixture, and then used the pasta to make a mouth and eyebrows.

Kids pick a side! Rolls, a side salad, carrot sticks, celery sticks ( peeled), and/or sliced cucumbers are all great options!

🧶 Crafts for this Recipe

Need a craft to keep kids busy while you cook? We've got you! Use extra dry shell pasta to make Play Food Mac and Cheese or this adorable Falling Leaves Tree Craft.