Barilla Piccolini White High Fiber Pasta + Taco Pasta Recipe

As a preschool director and parent, I am intimately familiar with all aspects of dried pasta 🙂

As a couponer, and someone who likes to create inexpensive meals at home for my family while on a budget, pasta dishes are a staple in my home. My children are still little and like pasta dishes, they are filling and those little bodies need the carbs. When ever I have the chance though I ALWAYS grab the either the higher fiber, or whole wheat options to try and add in some of the better fiber to their diet.

The kids don’t always want to go along with me though on the whole wheat pasta, it freaks them out a little with the color and texture. Barilla has a new white pasta that is high in fiber but looks familiar!

Introducing Piccolini Rich in Fiber – White

• Contains 3x more fiber than regular pasta
• Provides 30% of daily whole grains (per 100g serving)
• Looks and tastes like regular pasta

Now, for preschool, the possibilities with pasta are endless! Pasta is cheap and soooooo entertaining! Here are a few of my favorite ideas of things to do with Barilla pasta:

• Bow tie pasta angels
• Pasta Tiara
• Pasta Rainbows
• Threading Pasta, making necklaces

Plus, you can go to Barilla’s site and watch videos of things to do with pasta for both cooking and crafts!

A few weeks ago I posted an easy, inexpensive and really good recipe that my kids have been making at least once a week now. It is really satisfying for them to help cook and be responsible for helping with dinner. It is easy for them to help boil the pasta, scoop everything out and into the skillet, and brown the hamburger. All with supervision of course!

Check out The Girl Who Ate Everything, her pictures are much better 

Taco Pasta

1 pound ground beef or turkey ( I used 1.5 lb. )
8-12 ounces Barilla medium pasta shells or other small dry pasta shapes ( I used 12 oz)
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, drained (if making this for kids you might want to use just plain diced tomatoes)
4 tablespoons taco seasoning (I used 1 packet)
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the meat is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the meat is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes.

Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit if it is still too thin.

Toss in the cilantro right before serving for some fresh color and flavor. Serve with a green salad.

This post was written on behalf of Barilla Pasta, which I LOVE and use every week!