When you have children, you know what I mean when I say that kids sometimes go through phases in which they are picky selective in what they eat.  It’s in those times that a recipe that hides some extra veggies is a great thing.  Last year, when both boys decided to become a bit more selective in their culinary preferences, I found myself in that situation.  I adapted the recipe below slightly by adding zucchini & carrots to it and guess what…the dish went down a treat.  The kids requested seconds and once the oven dish itself had cooled off a bit, they started picking from it.  Now, whereas that may not particularly portray good manners, to me as a mother, it is a compliment.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
• 4 tbsp. Olive oil
• 1/2 zucchini, shredded
• 2 large Carrots, diced
• 1/2 cup Cubed chicken breasts (1-inch cubes)
• 1/2 cup Diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
• 1 Clove garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5-ounce) Can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 cup Shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup Bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan
• 1 tbsp. Butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
• Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
• Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.
• Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a medium saute pan and sauté the carrots for about 5 minutes.
• Remove the carrots and set aside.
• Add the remaining 2 tbsp. olive oil to the same pan and heat over medium heat.
• Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes.
• Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more.
• Put the chicken mixture, carrots and shredded zucchini into the bowl with the cooked pasta.
• Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper.
• Stir to combine.
• Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish.
• In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese.
• Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Serves: 4

Enjoy!

(Recipe by: Giada de Laurentiis, adapted by Marieke, aka HRH Mommy)

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