Packed lunch ideas for kids: hidden veg pasta pots
Ingredients
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic pureé
• 1 red pepper
• 1 yellow pepper
• 2 courgettes
• 1 large handful kale
• 2 tins tomatoes
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tbsp tomato pureé
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• a handful of dried pasta per person
Instructions
1. Warm the oil in a large non-stick pan with the garlic
2. Chop the courgette and peppers into half inch pieces
3. Gently fry them until soft
4. Add the kale and stir until wilted
5. Add the remaining ingredients (except the pasta) and bring to the boil
6. Simmer for 5 minutes, then taste and season if necessary
7. Meanwhile, put the pasta on to boil until al dente – when it’s ready, drain while running cold water over it to stop it cooking further, then return to the pan
8. Blend the sauce until smooth (using either a jug blender or stick blender)
9. Stir the sauce through the pasta and transfer to little snack pots to be chilled until they’re ready to take to lunch.
This recipe makes three large jars of pasta sauce, so you won’t need it all at once.
You can store spare sauce in the fridge in sterilised jars for a couple of days, or pour the sauce into ice cube trays to freeze and use whenever you need them as part of future kids packed lunch recipes.
For more packed lunch ideas, head over to A Mummy Too, where I'm sharing my recipe for red pepper and cheese savoury muffins.