Whole grain pasta, sauteed yellow squash, and spinach smothered in a creamy sauce with a hint of spicy kick to it. This delicious dairy free cream sauce has a 'secret' ingredient that boosts its protein content and nutritional value...Shhh the kids won't even know it's in there!
The two most common complaints I hear from busy moms....picky kids who won't eat healthy food and how to sneak healthy ingredients into foods their children WILL eat. I have found a myriad of ways to get vegetables in my kids meals. In fact, my vegetable based cheese sauce is a staple lunch ingredient for them everyday. It takes a little creativity but you can find ways to sneak vegetables, beans, fruits and other healthy foods into your kids meals, and even into their desserts!
**One tip to make whole wheat pasta softer like white pasta, cook it twice as long as white pasta! I learned that trick and it made all the difference for my family. Brown rice pasta however is soft with less cooking so I don't have to worry about that anymore but I know there are many people struggling to like whole wheat pasta because they don't know how to cook it.
This delicious dairy free penne florentine features white beans in the cream sauce. Why would I add a can of white beans in my cream sauce....sneaky added nutrition!
The white beans add the following nutrition per serving of penne florentine
Protein......9.5gFiber.........6.5gFolate.........21%Calcium.....10%Iron.........22%Zinc........18%Omega 3's......7%
You can add beans in homemade ice creams, brownies, cream sauces and many other recipes to boost nutrition.
Along with striving to create healthy meals that will appeal to the whole family, its always nice to create recipes that are simple and easy. Busy mom's need simple recipes they can create easily for their family. Who doesn't love pasta with a cream sauce? This is the perfect family meal!
Penne Florentine
1 pkg. Whole wheat or brown rice penne cooked1 yellow squash diced2 c. spinach1/3 c. vegetable broth
Sauce ingredients
Cook penne according to package directions. Preheat oven to 350. Sautee the garlic, onion, bell pepper overhigh heat with the vegetable broth until onion is translucent. Pour the sauteed vegetables in a blender withthe rest of the sauce ingredients and blend until creamy. Sautee the spinach and yellow squash in 1/3c. vegetable broth until spinach is wilted. Tear the bread in chunks and then pulse in a food processor or blenderwith the salt until it resembles bread crumbs. Pour the cooked and drained pasta in a 9X13 baking dish, top with thespinach and squash, pour the sauce on top and then sprinkle on the breadcrumbs. Bake 30 minutes or until sauceis thickened and bubbly.
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