Pasta is such a go to in our house…we have it at least once a week, and Monday is becoming the day for it.  Why? Because Miss 5 has piano, homework needs to get done and we need to make sure we’re on track for a good week. I’ve taking to roasting a chicken on a weekend with the sole purpose of it being available for meals later in the week.  This is one of those meals, basil chicken pasta sauce (with spinach they won’t notice).  This pasta dish never fails to appeal as the kids love it and gobble it all up.

I’ve made tonights version in my thermocook, but you could just as easily make it on the stove like I normally do and I’ll provide instructions for both. 

The great thing about this dish…the kids are none the wiser about the spinach.  How? Well, little white lies I guess, to me, it’s more important that they eat well, so I may or may not pretend that the spinach (baby spinach at that so hardly offensive) is basil.  Why do two children who do not eat baby spinach eat basil?  It’s just crazy.

So: no added salt, no added nasties, and so easy to make, this pasta sauce ticks all the boxes for us.  It also freezes well, and tastes seriously good.  It’s not a traditional pasta sauce, but it’s one that makes me remember why I originally fell truly and madly in love with pasta over 25 years ago.

Would you believe that when I was ten I had never eaten real pasta?  I don’t mean fresh pasta, I mean actual dried pasta, like barilla or san remo, or anything!  My mum made an incarnation of pasta using a continental pasta packet that we ate with “chicken cacciatore” but, I’d never eaten real pasta.  Then one night, my Sicilian neighbour (my second grandmother…and the one that had all the good food) brought over a bowl of plain cooked pasta.  I’d never eaten it before. I took one mouthful, then ate the whole bowl in about 20 seconds.  It was soooo good.  It was dressed oil olive oil and a bit of parmesan cheese and it entirely changed my life for the better.

But this recipe, well, it’s going to change your leftovers for the better!

and the thermocook method:

You can never go wrong with pasta, so I made more pasta recipes that you can serve for the whole family.  Check them out below:

• Sausage and pea pasta sauce
• Cheesy chicken meatballs in cherry tomato pasta sauce
• Superhero pasta sauce

Yield: 6 serves

Basil chicken pasta sauce (with spinach they won't notice) thermocook method

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Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 onion quartered
• 1 clove garlic peeled
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 3 basil leaves, torn
• tomatoes, about 250 grams- whatever type you like, chopped
• 700 ml passata
• 10 basil leaves, torn
• 200 grams cooked chicken, thigh or breast, chopped
• 2 handfuls baby spinach

Instructions

1. Add the onion and the garlic to the thermocook with the chopping blade. Select Chop, and 30 seconds.
2. Add the olive oil and basil, select saute, 5 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes and passata, select saute, 5 minutes.
4. Add the extra basil, select saute 5 minutes.
5. Add the chicken and baby spinach and select saute, 5 minutes.
6. Cook the pasta of your choice and add the sauce to it, serving hot.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

bowl
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 164 Total Fat: 6.3g Saturated Fat: 1g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 4.7g Cholesterol: 25.7mg Sodium: 101.4mg Carbohydrates: 16.1g Fiber: 4.3g Sugar: 7.8g Protein: 13.8g

Basil chicken pasta sauce (with spinach they won't notice) stovetop method

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Basil chicken pasta sauce (with spinach they won't notice) that is so yummy you will want it every night! Perfect veggie smuggling deliciousness.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic peeled
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 3 basil leaves, torn
• tomatoes, about 250 grams- whatever type you like, chopped
• 700 ml passata
• 10 basil leaves, torn
• 200 grams cooked chicken, thigh or breast, chopped
• 2 handfuls baby spinach

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan and cook the onion and garlic until soft.
2. Add the basil leaves and tomatoes.
3. Add the passata and cook until the sauce starts to thicken (about 10 minutes)
4. Add the chicken basil and baby spinach and cook until heated through.
5. Serve with your favourite pasta.