OK, I confess.  I am one of those Mom’s that will hide things in her children’s food.  I am not ashamed of this.  I have had a few openly tell me in the past that I was not teaching good eating habits to my children.  But you know, those people probably never tried to feed a picky eater.  I hide a little..offer a little.  There is a delicate balance that needs to be maintained when feeding a child and I respect that.

So the other day I was craving 3 things with a ferocity that rivaled a bear after honey.  I really, really wanted some pasta, greens and goat cheese.  I woke up thinking about it, sat and thought about it at work and while running after school I had put together a plan.

The problem?  I knew my oldest would pitch a fit.  Never fear, I am not afraid of that.  I was just not in the mood for his “20 questions about what was in the food” fun time. So while he was at swimming I made this quick little sauce so I could get rid of the evidence before he got home.

Talk about nutrient packed…I used a mix of legume-based pasta and whole wheat.  My green of choice: spinach.  This meal was filling and satisfied my need for goat cheese, greens and pasta all on 1 plate.

Feeling confident I plated his dinner.  He just looks at me like I am an idiot and says ” OK, Mom…I know there must be something in here that I don’t like..what is it”?  I smiled and assured him that there was no trick.  That I promised he would like it.  Not only like it but ask for more.

And he did not disappoint ????

Penne with Creamy Spinach and Goat Cheese Sauce

Kosher salt
1 pound penne pasta of your choice
3 cloves of garlic
2 ounces of Chevre goat cheese or other soft goat cheese of your choice
1 ounce reduced-fat cream cheese
fresh pepper
6 or so ounces of fresh baby spinach
reserved pasta water to thin sauce
fresh grated Parmesan for garnish

Cook pasta according to the directions and reserve 1 C of the water.  You may need it later.
Meanwhile in a food processor, mince the garlic and salt.  Add the cheeses and pulse a few times.  Then add 3/4 of the spinach leaves  and pulse until smooth.  At this point you may want to add a little of the pasta water to thin your sauce.

Add this to the drained pasta and toss to coat.  I served this on a bed of spinach that was lightly drizzled with olive oil.  We also had leftover grilled chicken so this was a complete meal ????

The bite of the pasta combined with the creamy tangy-ness of the goat cheese!  Heaven…

We had some great leftover grilled chicken so the meal was complete!