#spring fun

Ingredients (Serves 8)

1 box Barilla® Elbows

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup peeled and shredded sweet potato

1 cup Barilla® Tomato & Basil Sauce

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1 1/2 cups of shredded Fontina cheese

1/4 to 1/2 cup of low-fat milk

2 tablespoons of fresh basil, chopped

Directions

Bring 4 to 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil, add salt to taste and then add the elbows. Stir gently.

Cook pasta according to package directions; remove from heat and drain well.

Meanwhile, in a small pot, bring the broth to a boil and add the sweet potato; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until soft. Then remove from heat.

In a blender, combine the sweet potato, broth, tomato and basil sauce and salt; cover and blend until smooth.

In a very large skillet, bring the blended sauce mixture to a low simmer. Remove from heat and slowly stir in cheese until melted (mixture may appear curdled). Stir pasta into the sauce in skillet. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in enough milk to make a creamy consistency.

Ingredients (Serves 6)

1 Box Barilla® Pastina

1 Whole Chicken, Chopped

2 Stalks of Celery

2 Carrots, Divided

1 Onion

10 Black Peppercorns

1 Bay Leaf

1 Plum Tomato, Diced

1 Bunch of Asparagus, Diced

1 Leek, Diced

1 Tablespoon of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Sea Salt to taste

Directions

In a large pot, cook the chicken with carrots, onion, celery and black peppercorns for approximately two hours.

Skim the broth to remove the fat and then dice the remaining vegetables, except for the spinach. 

Sauté the asparagus and leeks in olive oil for 3-4 minutes, or until slightly browned.

Drain the broth into another pot and place back onto the stove top to simmer.

Season the broth with salt and pepper and add the reserved vegetables. Then add the Pastina and cook for half the time recommended in the package instructions.

Do you know what a pulse is? Do your kids? The MyPlate Spring Food Fun campaign aims to get children excited about healthy eating. Kids are more likely to enjoy healthy foods if they have a hand in making them, so be sure to get them involved every step of the way.