A full bag of spinach, a few cloves of garlic, a little cream, a handful of Parmesan cheese take you across the dinner finish line. The only thing making it better is having your kids eat it somewhere where you won’t have to scrub down a high chair.
I despise my highchair. In a first-time-parent snafu, I opted for cushy, modern and white! How naive I was to think it would stay that color. I tried though; I would spend an unacceptable amount of time scrubbing every nook and cranny, trying to rid it of whatever remnant of dinner clung to it’s leathery, upholstered surface. Needless to say, that plastic, no nooks, no crannies, once over, wipe-down, $20, Ikea highchair made it’s way into our home when my younger one hit 18 months. Experience at its finest.
You had me at easy dinner.
If you can get away with not cleaning a chair, even better, a table, in your home, why wouldn’t you? That’s where the park comes in handy. Now I’m not encouraging park trashing, we love our green spaces, but if the crumbs fall or a juice is accidentally spilled, it’s no big deal. OK, so, all you need to do is pack dinner (or order, no judgment, I do it too), find a park, or beach, or field, kids play, eat, make a mess outside my house, get some fresh air, return home, bathe, read, bed and then wine for me — happy Mom, happy kids.
The only thing making it more enjoyable is a meal that results with no complaints. Oh, and preferably something that will sneak in a veggie they won’t typically eat on its lonesome. That’s where this recipe comes in: Spinach Pasta Sauce. I threw it together after a major Costco run (remember, I’m addicted), involving massive amounts of spinach. That and my kids hadn’t had a veggie in a few days.
Spill it, how did it go over?
The result was perfection. The sauteed spinach combines with the garlic, cream, and cheese to form a velvety, creamy sauce that my kids are willing to eat on its own. You can use any pasta; I use anything from cheese tortellini to quinoa macaroni, it doesn’t matter; it’s merely a vessel to get more sauce in your mouth.
For the kids, I serve the pasta and spinach sauce with veggie sticks, ranch dressing, and sliced fruit. They may or may not eat said veggies and fruit, but at least I offered a healthy option, which is a gold start for me in my book. For the grown-ups, a salad and/or grilled chicken. A little sprinkling of pumpkin seeds for texture and you’ve got yourself a little bowl of
enjoy!
xx
turnips & tantrums team
Spinach Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 9 oz bag fresh spinach
- 3 cloves fresh garlic
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- pinch red pepper flake
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 cup cream
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
- pumpkin seeds for garnish
Instructions
- In a saute pan, over medium-low heat oil, garlic, and red pepper flake until garlic starts to turn a golden color.
- Turn up the heat, throw in spinach and stir until completely wilted, 4-5 minutes. Add spinach mixture and remaining ingredients to blender and mix until creamy.
- Add more pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Pour over pasta, garnish with additional parmesan cheese and a few pumpkin seeds for texture.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Source: Turnips + Tantrums original recipe.
Want to up the nutritional value and add broth instead of water? Head on over to find out how to make some bone broth.
Yummy I am trying this out tonight! Your recipes never steer me wrong!!! haha I love this artcile!! Yesterday we had to run on errands and lunch was served on the move …yes we copped a squat in a grassy area outside of Kohls…and then kept it moving! Yoghurt, hummus & carrots, hallah bread and strawberries and wipes to clean it all up. Keep writing!
Yum