It’s summer and you know you should do some kind of activity with the kids. But it’s HOT. Sounds like the perfect time to teach the kids how to whip up some kid-friendly linguini with no-cook pasta sauce!
This is a great recipe to have in your repertoire. The longer the sauce ingredients marinate, the better the pasta. So you can leave the sauce in a covered bowl on your counter until just before you plan to eat. All you have to do is cook the pasta, drain, and mix with the sauce.
But being make-ahead is not the only benefit to this recipe. There’s no slow-cooking red sauce to heat up your kitchen and because the sauce is uncooked, it’s lighter and fresher tasting. It’s the taste of summer in a bowl. The colors remain brighter, too, with their red, white, and green echoing the colors of the Italian flag.
The fresh basil is packed with vitamin E, of course, and the bright herbaceous flavor is irresistible in summer, when it can seem too much effort to eat. Extra bonus: because your children are making this dish, they’ll be eager to eat it, even if they usually shy away from herbs or tomatoes. What could be bad?
A six year-old should be able to prepare the sauce ingredients with some guidance from a parent or older sibling. You can cook the pasta yourself and toss it with the sauce. Make sure you take photos of your proud little cook, honing his or her knife skills!
Kid-Friendly Linguine With No-Cook Pasta Sauce
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 pound mozzarella cheese, cut into chunks
- 4 large tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks
- 1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 ½ pound linguine, uncooked
Method:
- Put first seven ingredients into large serving bowl. Stir to combine. Allow to sit for at least an hour and a half at room temperature.
- Cook linguine according to package instructions. Drain. Toss with sauce. Serve.
About Samuel Craig
Warrior for education, with a touch of green on the side. And yes, that is a purple tomato.
Children's education is my passion. That and the environment are the two most important causes in my life.
My wife and two kids are the most important people in my life.
Introduce yourself, I love meeting new people!