Spaghetti with Peas and Corn

Rock dinnertime with nutritious whole wheat pasta, easy-to-use frozen veggies and most importantly, kid-friendly flavor. This recipe comes to us from our friends at Birds Eye and was created by chef Marcus Samuelsson, who based the recipe on a dish his mother used to make.

Cooking Tip of the Week: Unsalted butter is best for cooking, while salted butter is better for spreading on bread. If you only have salted butter on to cook with, add less salt to the recipe to prevent over salting.

Food for Thought: Although Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s mother originally used regular pasta in this dish, he changed the recipe to include whole wheat pasta so it would be more nutritious and flavorful. Whole wheat pasta has more fiber and protein than regular pasta because it’s made from flour that uses all three parts of the wheat kernel. But importantly, it’s just as easy to cook and eat!

Family Dinner Conversation Starter: Is there a recipe we cook often that you would like to change? How would you change it?

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen peas (such as Birds Eye Baby Sweet Peas)
• 1 cup frozen corn (such as Birds Eye Sweet Kernel Corn)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or dairy-free butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese or dairy-free cheese, plus more for garnish
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream or dairy-free cream
• 1/3 cup packed chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
• 1 pound whole wheat spaghetti, cooked according to package directions

Directions:

Adult: Bring the peas, corn, and 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat.

Adult: Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables are heated through, about 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Adult: Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium skillet. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add to the vegetables.

Together: Whisk together the egg yolks, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and heavy cream in a large bowl.

Kid: Stir in 1/3 cup basil and vegetables.

Kid: Season with salt and pepper.

Together: Add the hot spaghetti to the bowl and toss well.

Kid: Sprinkle each serving with additional basil and more Parmesan at the table.