On Monday I posted a recipe for homemade Spinach Pesto, so easy and nutritious and ready in just five minutes. So today I thought I’d share a recipe about how I used that pesto to create a quick and tasty family meal.
Pesto Pasta is definitely one of my favourite go-to dinners. If I’ve had a manic day and only have a few minutes to prepare dinner, or if the baby is being particularly clingy and I’m need to make dinner one-handed, then I automatically grab for the dried pasta and jar of pesto! Although it is perfect as a quick meal on it’s own, this time I’ve jazzed it up with some Caprese Skewers.
Made with baby plum tomatoes, mini mozzarella balls and basil, these Caprese Skewers can be prepared earlier in the day and kept in the fridge to save some time later on. If you can’t find mini mozzarella balls you can tear pieces from a large mozzarella ball and mould them onto the sticks.
In my house, everything is better when served on a stick and these skewers definitely captured my fussy eater’s attention more than if I just made a normal caprese salad. I am really learning a lot about the visual appearance of food to children and how much it can affect their opinions of meals and consequently how much and the variety of food they will eat.
And it’s not just little fussy eaters that like nice presentation. I notice it makes a difference with grown up fussy eaters too!!
Do you have any tricks for making food more appealing to children? I’d love to hear your tips.
Spinach Pesto Pasta with Caprese Skewers
Prep Time: 10 mins- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: 22 minutes
Yield: 4 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Caprese skewers made with baby plum tomatoes, mozzarella balls and basil on a bed of spinach pesto pasta
Ingredients
- 300g dried spaghetti (or any pasta)
- 1 jar homemade spinach pesto
- 125g mini mozzarella balls
- 25 baby plum tomatoes
- 10 basil leaves
- balsamic glaze to garnish
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Once cooked, drain and immediately add the pesto and stir until combined. There is no need to return the pan to the hob as the heat of the cooked pasta will warm the pesto.
- Make the caprese skewers by threading the mozzarella balls, tomatoes and basil onto wooden sticks. These can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge. Garnish with balsamic glaze just before you serve.
Sarah @ SnixyKitchen says
August 14, 2014 at 9:51 pmI love the idea of throwing caprese skewers on top of pesto pasta! Also – I totally agree that kids react 100% to how things look – these skewers are like swords – perfect! 🙂
Ciara Attwell says
August 20, 2014 at 2:04 pmYes they do look like swords Sarah – I never thought of that, how clever!
Shikha @ Shikha la mode says
August 1, 2014 at 5:16 amLove this so much! Pesto is always a win.
Ciara Attwell says
August 1, 2014 at 6:56 amIsn’t it. I always have to have a jar in the fridge!
HELEN says
July 31, 2014 at 11:08 amthese look amazing & I agree about the skewers & sticks – I would often give my youngest an olive pick to eat with as it was such a novelty that he forgot to dislike the food he was eating!
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
July 31, 2014 at 12:09 pmHa ha! Its amazing to little things like that can distract them from the actual food they’re eating!
Emma | Fork and Good says
July 31, 2014 at 9:42 amThis looks perfect, that spinach pesto is a winner as well!
Ciara Attwell says
July 31, 2014 at 12:06 pmIts really good Emma. Both my big and small fussy eaters gobble it up. Yours might like it too!!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
July 31, 2014 at 1:24 ampesto pasta is my go to weeknight dinner meal too! i can’t get enough.. definitely adding the caprese skewers to my weeknight meal rotation next. love it!
Ciara Attwell says
July 31, 2014 at 6:22 amThey are a nice addition Thalia, definitely livens up plain old pesto pasta!
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
July 30, 2014 at 7:26 pmThis looks amazing. There is nothing about this meal that I don’t like the sound of. I have never made caprese skewers before, so I am going t give them a go 🙂
Ciara Attwell says
July 30, 2014 at 8:07 pmThey are scrummy Dannii. Hope you enjoy!