Whole Grain Wednesdays-Southwest Pasta

I don't know about you, but the pace of my life starts to pick-up come spring!  It seems as though the activities at my children's school increase as they try to get all of the concerts, plays, etc. done before the end of the school year.  Add to that several spring sports and the time to make dinner seems to shrink dramatically.

I want to share a whole grain recipe that I make quite frequently for dinner because it is so quick and easy.  This would also make a delicious lunch for your hungry children.

Southwest Pasta

1 pound dried whole grain pasta (I like to use wagon wheel or bow-tie pasta if you can find whole grain varieties)
2 cups mild salsa
4 ounce can chopped green chilies, drained
2 (15 ounce) cans of black beans, rinsed and drained (or use about 3 1/2 cups cooked black beans)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 cup shredded low-fat Cheddar or Monterey jack cheese

In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain pasta and put it in a large bowl.

In a medium saucepan combine the salsa, green chilies and black beans and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

Add the salsa mixture to the pasta in the bowl.  Add the cilantro, green onions, and cheese.  Stir and serve warm,  or refrigerate until needed.

Whole Grain Pasta

Have you wanted to try whole grain pasta, but have been afraid that your children wouldn't like it?  Would you try it if you could get your money back if you didn't like it?  Well now you can!  Head over to the  Barilla website where they have a rebate form that you can send in if you try their whole grain pasta and don't like it.  They also have some coupons available on their Facebook page for savings on their products.   Many providers have shared with us that their children make the transition to whole grain pasta quite easily and don't even notice the change. 

Some other tips for introducing whole grain pastas to your kids include:

• mixing the whole grain pasta with regular pasta and gradually adding more whole grain pasta
• serving whole grain pasta with extra sauce if children find it dry

• serving a variety of shapes of pasta

Enjoy!