Green Pig Pasta

I reckon I have about 1 more day left of doing nothing round here. The first few days were novel and fun! There were pj’s on all day, too many movies watched to mention, resting on beds and relaxing and all round catching up on a huge 2 weeks. Then by Monday when I had to get back online and working, there were more quiet days, again today but I think my luck may have run out. You see, going to the supermarket isn’t really cutting it anymore as an outing. I figure they have had 2 weeks of stuff so some normal time won’t kill them. Right?!

With the hope of something planned tomorrow I managed to convince the girls that our fun activity today would be them cooking. Ha! Food for us all AND they thought it was fun…win win! Tonight’s request for them both to cook for us was a reasonably new family favourite that Daise and I created a little while back, chock a block full of greens it will only be eaten by Harps and Rob if there is some ever present bacon in it, and so Green Pig Pasta was born!

The beauty of this is you can add in ANYTHING that is in the bottom of the crisper and green. You can throw in spinach, kale, shallots, asparagus, broccoli or broccolini, zucchini…you name it…chuck it in! Of course fried up in a little bacon fat, anything tastes better right? Vego’s just leave that bit out.

Green Pig Pasta (serves 4-6)

3/4 packet of pasta (we used penne but rigatoni is a fave and wholemeal even better)
1 packet bacon (thinly sliced)
1 bunch broccolini
1 bunch asparagus
1/2 bunch shallots
Handful chives (chopped into batons)
Handful black marinated olives
Handful cherry tomatoes (optional & halved)
Anything extra you have in the bottom of the crisper

1. Finely chop the bacon and all the greens (I use the tips of the broccolini and asparagus leaving the thicker ends of the asparagus behind)

(I did most of the fine chopping with the girls doing their own bits)

2. Into a hot, dry frypan add the bacon and fry until crispy. When you have good colour on the bacon add in all the other greens bit by bit.

3. Boil the pasta and distract the baby who is usually losing her shit at this time of day. Never mind the fact that she still has her nightie on at 6pm at night.

4. When the greens are softened and lovely add in the olives and tomatoes and a good amount of black pepper (you won’t need to add any salt due to the bacon). Take off the heat and wait for the pasta to cook

5. Strain the pasta tip back into the pot and add the sauce in coating the pasta

The girls pretty much did all of the stirring (and I drained the pasta) there was absolutely no nose turning up despite the amount of greens in it because they made it! Huh! A magical phenomenon with children and dinner I find when they are involved in the process.

The big two smashed two bowls and the baby very happy with her lot.

And yes, Harps still in her nightie at 6pm as well. Straight into the bath and into a fresh now. Ahhhh holidays! Tomorrow it’s up though, we are going to have to do SOMETHING.

[gmc_recipe 20368]

Do your kids cook much?
Do you find they eat more when they are involved?
How long can I keep them trapped at home do you think?

Comments

  1. Doing Something is highly overrated! We are on forced house arrest here (well, it feels like it) as Miss 9 has a broken bone in her foot, from the 2nd last day of our holiday. Home to rest on Saturday, and we’ve been doing that properly. Did have to take them out today to the Dr – but that was that. Felt like I was really back though to pile them into the car and drive out for the first time in ages.
    The kids do love to cook, they do more with my Mum than with me as she has much more patience. That pasta looks great, might have to give it a burl here, though mine would be even more green as it seems the spiralizer has taken over in the “pasta” dept. Strange but true.
    Happy New Year to you and yours Ms Beth x

  2. looks perfect hun!
    could you deliver please?
    I love your baby on the counter top!
    much love m:)X

  3. 2 outings a week maximum here….24 weeks pregnant, feeling 70 weeks with baby 4, miss 8.5 has cerebral palsy and I’m at my lifting limit with this pregnancy…a complete mind fuck really. Thankfully miss 10 and miss 5 are relatively understanding and tolerant…and helpful but not the countdown to school is on just to save my body from sheer exhaustion.

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