Creamy green veg pasta (family recipe)

What are these green pieces? What about these ones? And these ones? – JD, 5 (as he ate it all)

Happy Monday! I’m sharing this creamy pasta dish today because it’s great for busy families – the sauce is done in the time it takes to boil the pasta (no need to prepare a roux), and it gets three different types of green veg into even the fussiest of families, all wrapped up in a garlicy, creamy sauce.

Here’s what to do. This recipe feeds 4 with maybe a little left to take to work the next day.

Ingredients

• 125g tenderstem broccoli
• 80g green beans
• 80g asparagus
• 30g butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1tsp mild chilli powder
• 1tsp oregano
• 300g philly light (or any light cream cheese)
• 500ml whole milk
• good pinch black pepper
• 400g dried farfalle (pasta bows)

Instructions

1. Put the pasta on to boil
2. Trim the broccoli to about 2 inch stems
3. Top and tail the green beans and inch pieces
4. Trim the asparagus and cut into inch pieces
5. Warm the oil and butter in a large pan
6. Chuck in the veg, fry for a minute
7. Add the finely chopped garlic, fry for another couple of minute
8. Add the milk and cream cheese – if you’re not veggie, you could add a bit of chopped ham at this stage too
9. Stir over the heat until smooth, then add the chilli powder, oregano and black pepper.
10. Season further if desired – I kept  it child-friendly, then added extra chilli and pepper at the end, just for the grown ups
11. Leave it on low to simmer gently – don’t let it boil or it may split
12. When the pasta is boiled, drain and stir through the sauce

Serve with a fresh salad – and maybe some garlic bread if you’re feeling particularly hungry