Pasta Mini’s
By: DianaIn Pasta on June 24th, 2008
The other day, I received some Piccolini Mini Ziti to review, one of Barilla’s new Pasta Mini’s. The size of the pasta is smaller and more manageable for the mouth of the younger ones. Well, stop right there.
It is smaller and more manageable, but any mouth would enjoy the size of the pasta, you don’t have to be a kid. My kids are 15 and 17 and they thought the size was fine, even for teenagers. The piccolini was smaller than regular ziti or penne pasta, but bigger than macaroni. It held the sauce fine and was just perfect for our family. So perfect that my daughter ate too much and had to stretch to get the last bite to go down. This would have been perfect size for when my kids were little. We used a recipe from the back of the box, and it was delicious. To make it a more complete meal, I added chicken to the garlic and oil and cooked it thoroughly before adding the rest of the ingredients. It was a perfect quick meal for a weeknight after work dinner. If you haven’t gone to the Barilla website yet, they have coupons and even a chance to recieve a free scholastic book as well as a few recipes. Barilla’s Piccolini
Barilla Mini Ziti recipe
- 1 box Balilla Piccolini Mini Ziti
- 2 Tbsp virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 leaves basil chopped
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile in a medium skillet saute garlic with oil for 2 minutes over medium heat, add tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and saute for 5 minutes or until tomatoes are heated through. Remove garlic cloves (okay I never do that part). Drain pasta and toss with sauce. Top with cheese and basil before serving.
For those of you who are trying to stick to a whole grain diet and eat healthier, Barilla now has a whole grain pasta line. It is made with 51% whole wheat and an excellent source of fiber. Barilla Whole Grain Pasta
