Many scents are timeless and so closely tied to childhood kitchens. They can be used in bread baking, stew simmering, pasta boiling, or chocolate melting.
Family mealtimes are about more than just eating food. It’s about embracing the collective life. It’s about preparing ingredients and adding news to the mix. Learning from each other and sharing food. Family is not always about food.
Children should not be excluded from this process. Preschoolers may help to gather ingredients, while kindergarteners may measure and pour. First and second graders can slice, dice, zest, mince, and slice with parental supervision. As children enter third- through sixth grade, they will be able to use basic kitchen tools such as an electric mixer or a can opener, but only under parental supervision.
Children are more likely to eat the final product if they are involved in preparing the main course. So if your children love pizza (who doesn’t? You can build on this flavour profile by adding other Italian dishes. Five recipes were tested that were fun to eat and equally enjoyable to make.
5: Squished Tomato Pasta Sauce
Italian food can be simple yet delicious. This fun version of pasta sauce is one example. Because it doesn’t need heat or knives, this recipe is great for children under 3.
Put twelve cherry tomatoes in a bowl. Have your children squeeze them until they burst. Then, have them cut the fruit into small pieces. The juice from two large tomatoes should be added. The adults can cut the tomatoes in half to squeeze the juice into a bowl. Next, let the children add small pieces of basil or chives to the mixture. They can add a few green or black olives to the mixture if they wish. Add a little olive oil to the mixture, and you’re ready to serve it over pasta. We now move on to the next item.
4: Fresh Pasta
Even if your child has difficulty eating pasta, he likely loves it. How better to have some food-centric fun than making fresh noodles? Pasta recipes can be simple and easy to make.
Mix flour, eggs and milk until the dough resembles Play-Doh. Children can roll and shape the dough for up to 20 minutes (in recipe terms).
You don’t need to have a rolling pasta machine or other specialized equipment to complete the task. After the dough has become elastic enough, you can let your children spread it on a floured surface with a rolling pin. Let them cut the dough into small pieces or create interesting shapes using a butter knife or a pizza wheel. Once the pasta is formed, adults can help to boil it for just a few minutes.
You can make toppings quickly and easily. You can use butter, olive oil, or sprinkles of Parmesan cheese to make it kid-friendly. You can also use the sauce on the previous page.
3: Spaghetti Squash
Although the recipe is easy, it requires an oven. Adults will need to help. You will need a spaghetti squash. These are usually labelled, but you can also look for yellow squash with a long bell shape. The squash should be cut lengthwise so that your junior chef can pick out the seeds. Bake each half of the squash cut side down on a baking sheet with olive oil or spray for approximately one hour.
While the squash bakes, children can make a simple sauce for pasta using diced tomatoes, garlic, and lots of fresh basil. As the sauce is being cooked on the stovetop, be sure to supervise your children.
Let the spaghetti squash cool down after it has baked. Then let the kids get to work. To create spaghetti-like strands, they will use a fork and scrape the squash’s outside. Serve the squash with pasta sauce a little salt and pepper.
2: Pizza Pasta Bowls
Easy to prepare, pizza pasta bowls can be modified to suit each child’s taste buds. Start by making at least one type (or more if you wish to make several). Junior sous-chefs can prepare a variety of toppings. You can delegate depending on your age. Young children can cut basil leaves and tear apart pepperoni and olives. Older children can slice fresh mozzarella, cut mushrooms, diced green peppers, tomatoes, and other toppings.
You can place individual toppings in individual bowls buffet-style. Encourage children to add toppings to their pasta bowls buffet-style. Kids can also pretend to be waitstaff and prepare and deliver pasta dishes to customers.
1: Italian Toasties
This sandwich is a perfect combination of a sandwich a slice of pizza, and it’s so delicious that your children will ask for seconds. What’s the best part? The best part?
Start with a loaf of artisanal bread. You can use any bread, but a crusty loaf with rounded ends is the best. You may need to cut the loaf in half lengthwise, depending on your child’s age. The loaf should look like a magazine.