Sometimes I feel lucky that my kids are developing similar

tastes to mine in food. It gives us a lot in common. We share a love for

cakes, pastries and pastas. Where we differ is that my kids’ tastes are

really simple. While that makes it easy to cook for them, I always hope in my heart that as they grow up they will like some of the more complex flavors of food that I have come to love over the years.

Often that does mean that they don’t appreciate some of

the more complex stuff that I like to try out and it just doesn’t cut with

them. Then I have to remember that they are kids after all and the simpler stuff

makes them happier. And I go ahead and make a simple pasta with tomato sauce

and topped with a lot of grated parmesan cheese. There is another pasta my kids

love. Chunks of grilled chicken and cooked pasta are tossed in a tomato cream

sauce and sprinkled with generous amounts of grated parmesan cheese. It’s just as easy to make a vegetarian

version of this pasta, substitute pre-cooked vegetables in the sauce. I have also used minced chicken in this recipe and it tastes just as good!

The sauce used in this pasta is called a Rose` and it is a

very common pasta sauce. For me it is the best sauce that appeases all taste

buds. It is not as tangy as a tomato sauce and it is not as heavy as a standard

alfredo. So its a nice mix for those who love to have a bit of both!

Ingredients:

2 cups pasta

1 boneless/skinless chicken breast/ 4 chicken fillets

1 1/2 cups readymade pasta sauce

1/4 cup fresh cream

1 tsp dried basil leaves

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Boil 10 cups of water in a large pot with adequate salt.When the water comes to a roaring boil, add the pasta and cook till al-dente. Drain the pasta and keep aside in a strainer. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

2. Sprinkle salt and pepper on chicken pieces and grill in a pan with olive oil over medium heat till the chicken is cooked. Set aside for a few minutes and cut into bite sized pieces.

3. In a pan over medium heat, add the pasta sauce and cream and season with salt, pepper and dried basil. Cook for 2-3 minutes till the sauce is cooked through and well seasoned. Add the reserved pasta water and mix well. Add the chicken and mix well, followed by the pasta. Combine thoroughly over low heat till the pasta is coated well with the sauce.

4. Add 1/2 of the grated parmesan cheese and mix into the pasta. Remove pasta to a serving dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve.