Garden Fresh Pasta

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ReadyPasta #CollectiveBias

Two things that I've grown to love as a mom are, nutrition and convenience. Nutrition because I want to feed my family and growing daughter a healthy, balanced meal made from fresh ingredients, and convenience, because well, today was one of those days. If you're a parent, you know what I'm talking about, the day that everything seems to go wrong, all-the-things turn into tantrums, your kiddo draws on the white rug with hot pink beeswax crayon. Then you head outside for a game of soccer and just when you think the day is going to turn around (because she's having a ton of fun), she lightly scrapes her knee during a tumble, and the world is pretty much ending. Kind of dramatic I know, but it was one of those days.

When it came time to make dinner (with my 3 year old wanting to be held the entire time), I was glad that I had picked up the items to make a fresh and easy dinner the night before when we ran to Walmart for a few groceries. I spotted these new Barilla Ready Pasta pouches in the dry pasta aisle and immediately pushed the entire rack of them into my cart... Er, well, maybe that's not entirely true, but I bought quite a few packages anyway. Lol.

I was drawn not only to the convenience of the new Barilla Ready Pasta (because how else am I gonna get al dente pasta ready to eat in only 60 seconds?) but the simple ingredients as well. Extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and the same quality Barilla pasta I'm used to. Oh! Let's not forget no preservatives whatsoever, and the pasta is made from non-GMO ingredients, yay! No need to boil a pot of water and drain the pasta afterwards, all you need is a microwave, so it's perfect for at home, taking to the office, or even traveling (I kind of wish we'd known about this when we traveled to Missouri to visit my family recently, we could have had a pasta dinner in our hotel room). It also doesn't need refrigeration (just make sure to refrigerate the leftovers, if there are any haha) which we love and we just keep ours in the pantry! This pasta is the ultimate in convince and definitely makes my life a little (or a lot) easier since we eat pasta so much but need fast and convenient some days.

I also made this pasta for a big family dinner recently (to go along with my fresh homemade sauce) and everyone raved over how good the pasta was, no one could believe that it only took me 60 seconds to make (seriously, I can hardly even believe it, because it tastes that good).

Garden Fresh Pasta

2 packages penne barilla ready pasta

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons minced garlic

4 fresh diced tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon himalayan pink salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Pour your olive oil in a pan on medium to high heat, add in minced garlic, diced tomatoes, fresh basil, and salt and pepper. Stir frequently and let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, next you'll want to add in your parmesan cheese (save a little to top it with) and stir, let simmer for another 2 minutes and you're done with the sauce! Now follow the instructions on your Barilla Ready Pasta (just tear the top of the bag to vent, and pop it in the microwave for 60 seconds, that easy). Throw it all together in a large pasta bowl bowl or add individual servings to each plate, top with a little fresh parmesan and enjoy!

This recipe is so simple to make, has few ingredients, is nutritious and filled with fresh ingredients and it loved by everyone, even our super picky preschooler (who really only loves toast and yogurt most of the time haha) loved it and ate quite a lot.

Reasons I'll be purchasing these again... The convenience. The great taste. And the quality made, simple, preservative free and non-GMO ingredients. I love all these things and I can't wait to use them again (I'll definitely be adding these to our grocery list regularly from now on). What do you love most about the new Barilla Ready Pasta?