If you are having trouble getting your little one to eat some of the big hitter vegetables like kale or any vegetables for that matter this fun Octopus pasta recipe has a Hidden Vegetable sauce so is super kid friendly. Â It has certainly got my four fooled!
I make my sauce in large batches in a slow cooker so this is very simple to prepare in advance and then only takes a short time to prepare on the day.
You will need:
- Spaghetti (dried) around 30-50g per child depending on their size and appetite
- Frankfurters I allow 1-2 per child again depending on their age
- 2 Cans chopped tinned tomatoes
- A large handful of kale
- 2 carrots
- 1 onion
- 1 large courgette
- Low salt beef stock pot
- 2 Cups of water
The sauce ingredients will make enough sauce for several meals and can be added to mince to make a tasty bolognese or chicken for a casserole.
Method:
- Take all the vegetables and chop very finely. Â I use a food processor. Â The smaller the better to speed up cooking time
- Put chopped veg, tinned tomato, stockpot and water into a large saucepan with a lid or a slow cooker.
- In saucepan cook on low heat and slow cooker on high until veg is very soft
- Use a hand blender or liquidiser to make sauce smooth (unnecessary if your kids don’t mind veg)
- Chop frankfurters into 3 or 4 pieces about 1 inch long
- Push 4 spaghetti through each one until they look like this
- Boil a large saucepan of water and once boiling add in Octopus
- Cook for about 10 mins until pasta is al dente or however your kids like it
- Gentle mix through heated vegetable sauce and serve with grated cheese on topÂ
