Pizza or pasta tonight? How awesome it would be to live in a country that got to ask that question every single day! Though, you would soon discover that Italian food is more than just pepperoni pizza or buttered noodles. The varieties for both are endless.
In this chapter, basic building-block recipes for pasta sauce that you can customize are mixed with a few American-style spin-offs. You’ll see all the creative ways you can play with everyone’s favorite Italian dishes.
Maybe start with the classic Super Simple Spaghetti & Tomato Sauce (here) before diving in with the more modern Buffalo Chicken Pasta (here). Or mix things up and serve your family the mouthwatering BBQ Chicken Pizza (here). You’re going to love learning how to roll out homemade pizza dough for the crust!
Did you know that there are over 300 different kinds of pasta shapes in the world? What we see on the shelf at the store is just a tiny portion of what is created for noodle lovers everywhere.
How do you know which pasta shape to pair with your recipe? The truth is that you can use whatever you like, but traditionally there are a few rules if you want to follow them.
SHORT PASTAS: These shapes do really well with heartier sauces that involve bits of meat or chunks of veggies. Which one do you think would trap a green pea the best?
1. Farfalle butterflies
2. Penne
3. Rigatoni
4. Campanelle
5. Cellentani
6. Rotini / Fusilli
LONG PASTAS: For thinner and smoother sauces, long pasta shapes are the way to go. The biggest difference between them is their width. The creamier and heavier the sauce, the wider the noodle you want to go with it.
1. Angel hair
2. Spaghetti
3. Fettuccini
4. Linguine
FUN PASTA SHAPES: These fun shapes are perfect for soups or for homemade macaroni and cheese.
1. Shells
2. Wagon wheels / Rotelle
3. Ditalini
4. Stellini
5. Orzo
Each pasta shape requires its own cooking time, but the method is the same.
1. Fill a large pot two-thirds full with water. Place it over a stove-top burner turned to high heat.
2. Add several pinches of salt to the water, this will help to season the pasta as it cooks.
3. Wait for the water to come to a boil. When it is nice and bubbly, carefully pour your pasta into the hot water. It’s a great idea to wear baking gloves to protect your bare hands from any hot water splashes.
4. Stir the pasta immediately to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
5. Set a timer for the lower end of the cooking time that is listed on your pasta package. This will give you pasta al dente, which means “to the tooth.” The pasta will cook a little more when you add it to the sauce, so you want to be sure it isn’t overdone right from the pot.
6. Have your adult helper drain the pasta before using it in the rest of your recipe.
Buttered noodles are a Children’s Menu staple at most restaurants. I know it is probably already one of your very favorite dinners, especially when it’s made with your favorite shape of pasta. It’s also the perfect simple dinner to really play around with inventing your own recipe. Think of all the different things you could add to spice it up! How many combinations can you make?
YIELD: 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
COOKING OIL
6 tbsp (86 g) butter, olive oil or a combination
TWO OR THREE VEGGIES (USE 1 CUP OF EACH; WEIGHT WILL VARY)
Frozen peas
Frozen corn
Zucchini slices
Broccoli, chopped
Bell peppers, chunks
SEASONINGS (USE ONE OR MORE)
1 tsp garlic salt
Sprinkle of red pepper flakes
1 tsp basil
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp chives
MEAT (USE 1–2 CUPS; WEIGHT WILL VARY)
Rotisserie chicken, shredded
Chopped deli ham
Sautéed sausage slices
PASTA
1 (16-oz [454-g]) box pasta, boiled and drained
FINISHING FLAVOR (OPTIONAL)
Parmesan cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Lemon juice
Add the butter and/or olive oil to the same pot you used to make your pasta. Turn the heat to medium, and melt the butter.
Add the prepared veggies you selected to the butter, and sprinkle them with the seasonings you picked out. Sauté them until the veggies are just softened.
Add the shredded or chopped meat to the veggies and stir them together. Heat for 1 to 2 minutes until everything is warmed through.
2. PARENTS, IT’S YOUR TURN! 
Add the pasta back to the pot.
3. TEAMWORK GETS IT DONE! 
Toss the pasta together with the veggies and the meat until the pasta is coated in butter. Let the pasta sauté for 5 minutes so it soaks up the butter. Give it a gentle stir every couple of minutes to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Serve the buttered pasta dish sprinkled with cheese or lemon juice (if using) over the top.
Making your own spaghetti sauce couldn’t be easier, but you don’t have to use it on spaghetti! This is a great recipe for testing out a new shape you’d like to try. It’s quite possible you have everything you need for the sauce already sitting in your pantry.
PLAY WITH IT! Notice how this recipe has no seasonings listed? You can add almost any Italian seasonings you like: garlic, basil, thyme, oregano or even rosemary. The blend you choose makes this sauce your own.
YIELD: 6 SERVINGS
1 (16-oz [454-g]) box of your favorite pasta shape
1 (28-oz [794-g]) can of crushed tomatoes
1 small onion
5 tbsp (72 g) butter
Sprinkle of salt
Parmesan cheese, for serving
Before you make the sauce, get your pasta ready. Ask your adult helper to put a large pot of salted water over high heat, and bring it to a boil. Add the box of pasta to the water, and cook it according to the lowest time listed on the package. Have your adult helper drain the pasta and set it aside for later. Return the pot to the stove top for making the sauce.
While your helper drains the cooked pasta, open the can of crushed tomatoes. Peel the outer wrapping off an onion. Ask your helper to cut it in half.
Measure the butter, and set it by the stove.
2. PARENTS, IT’S YOUR TURN!
Boil the pasta and drain it for your kid chef. Let it rest in the colander while your kid chef prepares the sauce.
Return the pot to the stove over medium-high heat. Cut the onion in half when your kid chef asks.
3. TEAMWORK GETS IT DONE!
Melt the butter in the same pot you used to boil the pasta. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, add a sprinkle of salt and stir. Place the onion in the pot cut-side down. Simmer the sauce gently for 45 minutes. Scoop out and discard the onion.
Add the prepared pasta to the pot and gently toss it with the hot sauce to warm it through. Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
If you are looking for a meatier sauce for your favorite pasta, or as a topping for some gnocchi, this sweet Italian ragù is perfect. The veggies that give it so much flavor are diced up teeny tiny, and after they’ve simmered for an hour, you hardly know they are there.
PLAY WITH IT! The base of this recipe is beef and pork, but you can use ground turkey if you want to make a lighter dish. You could add bacon, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, bell peppers or a splash of balsamic vinegar.
YIELD: 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
1 (1-lb [454-g]) box of your favorite pasta shape
1 onion
2 celery ribs
1 carrot
½ cup (118 ml) whole milk
2 tbsp (30 ml) red wine vinegar
½ cup (118 ml) beef stock
4 tsp (13 g) jarred minced garlic
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
½ lb (227 g) ground beef
½ lb (227 g) ground pork
1 (6-oz [170-g]) can of tomato paste
Parmesan cheese, for serving
Ask your helper to set a large pot of salted water over high heat to bring it to a boil. Add the box of pasta to the water, and cook it according to the lowest time listed on the package. Have your adult helper drain the pasta and set it aside for later. Return the pot to the stove top for making the sauce.
Ask your adult helper to cut the onion, celery and carrot into quarters or large chunks so you can chop them up using a manual food processor. Work one veggie at a time so you don’t overcrowd your chopper.
Measure the whole milk, red wine vinegar and beef stock in a large measuring cup. Stir them to combine, and set the cup near the stove.
Measure the garlic, nutmeg and thyme and put them together in a small bowl. Set the bowl near the stove.
2. PARENTS, IT’S YOUR TURN!
Boil the pasta and drain it for your kid chef. Set it aside for serving.
Prepare the veggies for your kid chef to chop in their manual food processor.
Set a large sauce pot over medium-high heat.
3. TEAMWORK GETS IT DONE!
Add the olive oil to the pot. After 1 minute, add the diced onions, celery and carrots to the pot and stir. Sprinkle them with salt & pepper and add the garlic and seasonings. Stir to combine.
Add the ground beef and ground pork to the pot. Stir and break the meat up into chunks so it cooks evenly. In about 10 minutes once it has browned and is no longer pink, add the tomato paste and stir. Add the milk mixture and stir. Heat the mixture until it starts to bubble and then cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the sauce for 1 to 1½ hours.
Give the sauce a stir every 10 to 15 minutes to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of your pot.
Add the prepared pasta to the pot, and gently toss it with the hot sauce to warm it through. Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
We call these “pasta pillows” in our house. Gnocchi are little Italian dumplings made with potato, but they are light and fluffy, just like a pillow. They would be just perfect with the Bolognese sauce (here), but they also make a wonderful side dish or dinner entrée with simpler sauces.
PLAY WITH IT! You can change the seasonings here just as you would the Better Than Buttered Noodles (here). You could also add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and some asparagus with the peas for a springtime version of the dish.
YIELD: 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
1 cup (151 g) frozen peas
½ tsp sage
½ tsp garlic salt
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 (1.1-lb [500-g]) package of gnocchi
4 tbsp (57 g) butter
½ cup (90 g) shredded Parmesan cheese
Measure the peas. Set them near the stove.
Measure the sage, garlic salt and nutmeg, and stir them into a little cup or bowl. Set them next to the peas.
2. PARENTS, IT’S YOUR TURN!
Set a large pot of salted water over high heat, and bring it to a boil.
3. TEAMWORK GETS IT DONE!
Add the gnocchi to the boiling water and stir. They only need about 2 to 3 minutes to cook; you’ll know they’re ready when they all float to the top of the water. Add the peas to the boiling water and stir. Let them soak for 1 minute. Have your adult helper drain the gnocchi and peas into a colander in the sink.
Return the empty pot to the stove and heat it over medium-low. Measure and add the butter to the pot to melt. Once the butter has melted, add the seasonings and stir.
Add the cooked gnocchi and peas to the pot and stir to coat them in butter. Let them sauté for a few minutes so they get a chance to absorb the butter.
Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top, and serve.
Buttered noodles are a favorite first food for many kids. A fun next step can be playing with the seasonings and trying different shapes. These delicious sausage tortellini are kicked up just a notch with the addition of some warm nutmeg and spicy red pepper flakes.
PLAY WITH IT! Tortellini come in many different flavors: chicken, cheese, sausage and more! Experiment with which flavor you love the most. Frozen peas are easy to cook right in the same boiling water as the pasta, but you could use any frozen veggie you like. Asparagus, peppers, corn or broccoli would also be yummy.
YIELD: 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
1 (20-oz [567-g]) package of sausage-filled tortellini
1 (10.8-oz [306-g]) bag frozen peas
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp nutmeg
Generous sprinkle of red pepper flakes
6 tbsp (86 g) butter
Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Have your helper put a large pasta pot filled with salted water over high heat so it comes to a boil. Add the tortellini to the water, and cook for 4 minutes. Add the frozen peas to the boiling water and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
Have your helper drain the pasta and peas, and return the pot over medium heat.
While you’re waiting for the water to boil, measure the garlic salt, thyme, nutmeg and red pepper flakes, and put them in a small bowl near the stove.
Measure and add the butter to the pot and let it melt. Then add the seasonings, and stir to combine it all with the butter. Add the drained pasta and peas back to the pot, and stir gently to coat the pasta with the butter.
Sauté the tortellini for a few minutes over medium-low heat.
2. PARENTS, IT’S YOUR TURN!
Assist your kid chef with boiling the water and draining the pasta. You may also want to transfer the pasta back to the hot pot once the butter has melted.
3. TEAMWORK GETS IT DONE!
Serve the pasta with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
Does your family all agree on how spicy to make your food? We sure don’t. In our family, Dad devours anything buffalo flavored while the youngest of our kids would run for the hills if she spied red sauce on her plate! We invented this dinner to please everyone at the table. Serve up the mild and creamy chicken noodle base, and let everyone in your family choose whether it should be plain or Spice Level 10. And for the nervous-but-curious ones? Be sure to test the buffalo sauce with some raw veggies before pouring it all over your finished dish.
PLAY WITH IT! There’s nothing spicy about this creamy sauce. You could add frozen peas, diced ham and a little lemon zest to make a fancy Alfredo dish instead.
YIELD: 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
1 lb (454 g) corkscrew shaped pasta
2 cups (473 ml) milk
½ cup (115 g) butter (1 stick)
1 (8-oz [227-g]) package of cream cheese
2 tsp (10 g) garlic salt
½ cup (90 g) ground Parmesan cheese
Sprinkle of black pepper
FOR SERVING
1 lb (454 g) cooked chicken tenderloins, chopped
2–3 green onions
Blue cheese crumbles
1 (12-oz [328-ml]) bottle prepared buffalo sauce
SUGGESTED SIDE DISHES
Raw celery sticks
Raw baby carrots
Ask your adult helper to put a large pot of salted water over high heat, and bring it to a boil. Add the pasta to the pot and stir, cooking it for the shortest amount of time listed on the package. Ask the adult to drain the pasta into a colander and reserve for later. Return the pot to the stove top.
Meanwhile, measure the milk into a measuring cup, and set it near the stove.
Shred the chicken into bite-size pieces using your fingers. Place the meat on a plate or in a small bowl.
Remove the tips from both ends of the green onions with your butter knife. Then, cut the stalks into 4 shorter pieces, and chop the green onions into small pieces using a manual food processor. Put them in a small bowl on the table.
Lay the fresh veggies into a pretty pattern on a tray, and add them to the table. Add a spoon to the container of blue cheese crumbles, and put it and the bottle of buffalo sauce on the table so everyone can customize their own pasta.
Now, prepare the sauce. Measure and add the butter to the pot. Melt it over medium-high heat.
Add the cream cheese and garlic salt to the pot and stir while gently breaking up the brick of cheese with your cooking spoon.
When the cream cheese is halfway melted down, add the milk. Gently stir or whisk the mixture to keep the milk and cheese from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Bring the sauce to a gentle bubble and whisk until it begins to thicken, about 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low; measure and add the Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Stir to combine.
2. PARENTS, IT’S YOUR TURN!
Set a large pasta pot filled with water and a sprinkle of salt over high heat to bring to a boil. Cook the pasta in the boiling water according to the box directions. Strain the finished pasta and return the pot to the stove.
3. TEAMWORK GETS IT DONE!
Have the adult helper transfer half of the pasta sauce into a bowl or measuring cup, then transfer the pasta back to the sauce pot. Stir the pasta until coated with sauce. Add additional sauce until the pasta reaches your family’s preferred consistency. (Any remaining sauce can be stored separately from the leftover pasta and used to rehydrate the dish when you reheat it, or to coat a new box of pasta for a second dinner.)
Add the chopped chicken to the pasta. Stir to coat, and heat it through.
Serve the pasta and the chicken mixture in large bowls, and let each family member add the green onions, blue cheese crumbles and buffalo sauce buffet-style to make their perfect combination.
You could buy a premade pizza crust at the store, but making homemade pizza from scratch is so fun. Everyone should try it at least once.
YIELD: 2 PIZZA CRUSTS
1¼ cups (296 ml) water at room temperature
½ cup (118 ml) warm water
2¼ tsp (7 g) instant yeast
4 cups (398 g) bread flour, plus more for dusting
1½ tsp (8 g) salt
2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil + 1 tbsp (15 ml) for oiling a bowl
Sprinkle of all-purpose flour for the working surface
Parchment paper
Sprinkle of cornmeal for the rolling surface
Measure 1¼ cup (296 ml) of water and pour it into a small bowl. Set the bowl on your counter, and let it come to room temperature for 10 minutes.
Measure ½ cup (118 ml) of warm water into a liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the water.
Ask your helper to set a stand mixer on your counter, and be sure it has the paddle attachment hooked up. Measure and add the bread flour and salt to the bowl of the mixer, and stir it together to blend.
Add the bowl of room temperature water to the cup with the yeast. Measure and add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil to the cup.
Pour 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil into a large mixing bowl. Use your fingers to spread the oil all over the surface of the inside of the bowl. Set the bowl aside. Wash your hands.
Turn the mixer on to low speed. Pour the water-oil-yeast mixture in with the flour. Mix everything together until a dough is formed. Switch the paddle attachment to the dough hook. Knead on low speed for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and stretchy.
Move the dough into the oiled mixing bowl, and turn it over once to coat it in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise until it has doubled in size. This will take about 1½ to 2 hours.
When the dough has risen, remove the plastic wrap, and press down on the dough to deflate it. Sprinkle some flour over your working surface, and place the dough on top.
Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Form each piece into a smooth, round ball. (You can freeze the pizza dough wrapped in plastic wrap at this point, if you like.) Cover the dough with a damp paper towel and let it relax for 10 to 30 minutes.
2. PARENTS, IT’S YOUR TURN!
Place a pizza stone on the middle rack, and preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) for 30 minutes.
3. TEAMWORK GETS IT DONE!
If you don’t have a wooden pizza peel that came with your pizza stone, use the back side of a cookie sheet or a flat wooden cutting board to roll out your pizza dough.
Place a large piece of parchment paper on your rolling surface, and then sprinkle it with some cornmeal. Rub some flour into your hands and then place the dough on top of the rolling surface. Gently shape the dough into a round pizza circle. The dough should be even across the surface, but it’s okay to leave it a little thicker around the edge for a crust.
Brush the outer edge of the crust with some olive oil. Add your sauce and toppings. Have your adult helper slide the parchment paper with the pizza on top off the rolling surface and onto the hot stone in the oven. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly, 8 to 12 minutes.
Pesto is made mostly from fresh basil, olive oil and Parmesan cheese. It smells like summer in a jar. You can grow a forest of basil really easily on your patio or even in a windowsill to make your own, or buy prepared pesto from the grocery store. It’s fantastic on top of pasta, but we love to use it to make “green pizza.”
PLAY WITH IT! Stick with the green theme and play with how many green veggies you could add to your pizza. Green peppers, chopped broccoli, asparagus or spinach would all be yummy with the pesto. You could add some cooked chicken or sausage, too. If you want pizza with a little kick, add some roasted red pepper flakes to your serving.
YIELD: 8 SERVINGS
1 ball of pizza dough (here) or 1 prepared pizza crust
Parchment paper
½–1 cup (123–245 g) prepared pesto
3 cups (539 g) mozzarella cheese
1 cup (180 g) shredded Parmesan cheese
2 Roma tomatoes
Follow the instructions here to roll out your pizza dough on a piece of parchment.
Measure and spread the pesto over the surface of the pizza crust, leaving a small bit of room around the edge for the crust.
Measure and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese over the pesto. Spread them evenly with your fingers.
Ask your adult helper to slice the tomatoes.
2. PARENTS, IT’S YOUR TURN!
Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) with a pizza stone on the middle rack. If using a prepared pizza crust, follow the instructions on the package.
When your kid chef asks, slice the tomatoes into thin slices.
3. TEAMWORK GETS IT DONE!
Lay the tomato slices over the top of the pizza.
The adult helper should transfer the pizza on top of the parchment paper to the oven. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes. The pizza is ready when the cheese is melted, the tomatoes are roasted and the crust is golden brown.
Carefully slide the pizza off the stone and onto a cutting board or baking sheet. Slice and serve.
When you want a tomato-based sauce for your pizza but are in the mood for something a little bit different, barbecue sauce is an amazing substitution. This sweet and spicy pizza is a yummier version of a barbecue sandwich.
PLAY WITH IT! You can use any prepared sauce you love for this recipe. Have someone who wants peppers and someone who doesn’t? Add them to just half of the top of the pizza. Same for the onions.
YIELD: 8 SERVINGS
1 ball of pizza dough (here) or 1 prepared pizza crust
Parchment paper
½–1 cup (118–237 ml) prepared barbecue sauce
1 cup (227 g) chunks of cooked chicken tenderloins
3 cups (539 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup (121 g) shredded cheddar cheese
1 green pepper
1 red onion or 3–4 green onions
1 bunch fresh cilantro
Follow the instructions here to roll out your pizza dough on a piece of parchment.
Measure and spread the barbecue sauce over the surface of the pizza crust, leaving a small bit of room around the edge for the crust.
Measure and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese over the barbecue sauce.
Spread them evenly with your fingers.
Have your adult helper cut the pepper and onion into large chunks so you can chop them up with a manual food processor. Sprinkle them over the top of the pizza.
Finally, add the chopped chicken chunks evenly over the pizza.
2. PARENTS, IT’S YOUR TURN!
Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) with a pizza stone on the middle rack. If using a prepared pizza crust, follow the instructions on the package.
Chop the pepper and onion into chunks when asked, and let your kid chef chop them up into little pieces.
Chop the cilantro.
3. TEAMWORK GETS IT DONE!
The adult helper should transfer the pizza on the parchment paper to the oven. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes. The pizza is ready when the cheese is melted, the tomatoes are roasted and the crust is golden brown.
Carefully slide the pizza and parchment paper onto a cutting board or baking sheet.
Sprinkle the top with the fresh cilantro, slice and serve.
