Pesto Pasta with Tofu and Chickpeas
An easy dish, it's always a hit with my kids.
Ingredients:
Macaroni noodles, enriched or whole wheat
1/2 can of chickpeas, drained
1/2 block of tofu, cubed
1 cup frozen peas
Pesto sauce, the jarred kind.
Fresh tomato, sliced or cubed (optional)
Cook macaroni noodles in boiling water until almost cooked. For the last minute or two, add the chickpeas, tofu, and frozen peas. Drain. Add 3-4 tbsp of pesto sauce and mix. Add some fresh sliced tomato.
This makes several servings. It’s great because it doesn’t take too much attention and only the tofu and the tomato need cutting and that’s quick to do.
Both my toddler and 10 month old baby will eat it. (They will eat all of the tofu, noodles and peas given and about 1/2 of the chickpeas.) It’s perfect for my baby because she is at the age where she likes to practice picking up things with two fingers, and has enough teeth to handle the whole noodles and the chickpeas. Crush the chickpeas a little with a fork if you are anxious about them.
Note: The picture above shows an example of Pesto Penne, I would advise that you cut up the penne noodles into several pieces when giving them to an older baby.