Pasta Full of Posies { Free Cookbook }

Hi everyone!  I recently had the opportunity to try out some new recipes from the Country Crock Cookbook: A Very Veggie World by Clare Crespo.  The recipes are designed to make feeding veggies to your family both fun and delicious! 

I don’t know about you guys, but my kids are really picky vegetable eaters.  They will eat carrots, green beans, and corn, but that is about it!  I have tried to hide veggies in soups, salads, and even meatloaf, but somehow they always know! 

 The recipes in the  cookbook make serving vegetables cooked with County Crock look fun, easy, and delicious!  My kids are going to love having such a pretty and yummy treat and I am going to be so glad that it doesn’t have to be hidden and that it is a good healthy choice for them!

When I downloaded the Clare Crespo cookbook, I decided to let the kiddos pick out a recipe to create.  They loved looking through the whimsical and fun creations, but decided that the Pasta Full of Posies was the prettiest and that we should make that one! 

Here is the recipe…

Pasta Full of Posies

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
(8 servings)

Ingredients:
2 yellow or orange bell peppers
16 oz. whole wheat penne (or pasta of your choice)
3 Tbsp Country Crock Spread
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
5 cherry tomatoes, halved
7 basil or baby spinach leaves

Chop off top and bottom of peppers. Slice down the side,
remove the seeds and lay pepper flat. Cut into petal
shapes.

Boil pasta according to package directions; drain.

Melt Country Crock®
Spread and heat olive oil on the
stove over medium heat in a pan big enough to hold
pasta. Cook garlic and peppers together for about 5
minutes. With tongs, remove pepper petals and set
aside.

Add pasta and cheese to garlic and toss together. Put
pasta in shallow serving dish. Arrange tomato halves
on top and surround them with pepper petals to make
“flowers.” Add a basil or baby spinach leaf to each
flower.

The kids actually liked the peppers a lot and I loved that  Country Crock has 70% less saturated fat than my old stand-by…. butter (yes… call me Paula Deen, Jr.) I can’t wait to try out a few more of their vegetable recipes!