Kid's Pasta Recipe

Boil pasta

Bring 8 cups water to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan. Add 1 tsp salt. Add 2 cups small pasta and stir to separate. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender but still slightly firm (about 7–10 minutes depending on pasta).

If adding frozen peas, add them to the boiling pasta during the last 2–3 minutes of cooking so they thaw and cook through. If using pre-cooked diced chicken, warm it by adding during the last 1–2 minutes.

Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain pasta and peas (and chicken if added) in a colander. Return pasta to the saucepan off the heat.

Make creamy tomato-cheese sauce

In the same (cleaned) saucepan or a small skillet, melt 2 tbs butter over medium-low heat. Stir in 1 cup tomato sauce and 1 cup milk. Warm gently until just simmering (do not boil hard).

Turn heat to low and stir in 1 cup grated cheddar cheese a handful at a time, stirring constantly until melted and smooth. If sauce seems too thick, whisk in up to 1/4–1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water a few tablespoons at a time to reach a smooth, coat-the-pasta consistency.

If using 1 cup cooked diced chicken, stir it into the sauce to heat through. Taste and, if the tomato is too acidic for a child, stir in 1 tsp honey or maple syrup.

Off the heat, add the sauce to the drained pasta (or return pasta to the cleaned saucepan and pour sauce over). Stir gently to coat. If you reserved extra pasta water earlier, add small amounts to loosen the sauce as needed.

Stir in 2 tbs grated Parmesan (optional), 1 tsp dried oregano or basil, and 1 tsp black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning; add a pinch of salt if needed. Drizzle 1 tsp olive oil if desired for shine and a little extra flavor.

Serve warm immediately in kid-friendly portions. If plating for picky eaters, keep sauce and pasta lightly mixed (rather than heavily sauced) and offer extra grated cheese at the table.