White Cheddar Cavatappi Pasta
- Quick Family Dinner Made Simple
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Unilever® and Knorr® as part of my participation in the Unilever® Agents of Change program.
To make life easier, mealtime much quicker and have less food stress, I am a BIG fan of using ready-prepared, shelf-stable items, and/or frozen ingredients as a quick meal “starter kit” or base to complete family meals! These partially/ready-prepared items make chopping, seasoning and planning a whole lot easier for my busy clients! That’s why I love Knorr® Selects because they are an easy way to make a versatile, nourishing, well-balanced and creative meal! Since the spices, sauce and grains are all in one you can say good-bye to planning. All you have to do is add in whatever seasonal or frozen produce you have on hand, top with your favorite lean protein, and boom a complete meal with lots of flavor on the table in 30 minutes!
In the spirit of quick & easy family meals, this September marks National Family Meals Month™, designed to support families in enjoying more meals together, by pledging to have one more meal together at home per week. Research shows that eating meals as a family can have far-reaching wellness benefits to individuals and the community. Family meals have been associated with increased diet quality, better weight management, as well as improved mental health, academic performance and more.
Ask the RD: What can I add to partially/readily prepared items to make it a complete meal
for my family?
As a Registered Dietitian, I always ask myself, how can I get in more whole foods?
I try to get each meal to have a variety of seasonal and at least 50% non-starchy vegetables. With this recipe I added spinach and cauliflower!
RD Tip: I also try to incorporate and be mindful of foods from The Future 50 Foods report, such as spinach! Future 50 Foods have the power to increase the nutritional value and decrease the environmental impact of everyday meals. At Roots Reboot, and supporting Knorr®’s mission, we all need to be part of shifting the food system by using our purchasing power to increase the demand and supply of foods that are better for people and the planet! I always encourage clients to start by just choosing to eat a wider range of foods, including the Future 50 Foods! At Roots Reboot, we believe in Knorr®’s guiding principles, that large-scale change begins with small actions!
Secondly, I ask myself if there is a good whole-grain source in this meal?
I try to make sure my meal is at least a quarter whole grain or starchy vegetable and thankfully in this Knorr® Selects pack, there is whole wheat cavatappi pasta! To really make this meal extra filling and nourishing, I also added sweet potato for more fiber, vitamins and minerals. Sweet potato is also another food on The Future 50 Foods list!
Lastly, I ask myself if there is a good, high-quality protein source providing at least 15-20 grams of protein per serving to really make this meal even more filling and well balanced?
To complete this meal, I added Wild Alaskan salmon which is an omega-3 rich protein source to balance the dish!
White Cheddar and Roasted Vegetable Cavatappi Pasta with Wild Salmon
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients:
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 head cauliflower, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 packets of Knorr® Selects White Cheddar Broccoli with Cavatappi Pasta
4 - 6 Wild Alaskan Salmon filets, 3 to 4 ounces each
2 cups fresh spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Peel and chop sweet potato and cauliflower into 1-inch, bite size pieces. Drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, enough to coat evenly, and season with salt and pepper.
Roast vegetables in oven for 35-40 minutes or until tender.
While vegetables are roasting, cook Knorr® Selects While Cheddar Broccoli with Cavatappi Pasta per package instructions.
While vegetables and pasta are cooking, season salmon filets with salt and pepper. In a saucepan, sauté salmon with Extra Virgin Olive Oil over medium-high for 3-4 minutes on each side until cooked to desired tenderness.
Combine roasted vegetables into cooked cavatappi pasta, add 2 cups spinach, and serve with salmon filet on top.
Reboot and Enjoy!
