Sweet Sesame Buckwheat Noodles With Sausage Broccoli
This is a family favorite right now. My toddler is (thankfully!) in a broccoli loving stage and I’m incorporating it into a lot of recipes as of late. Even if broccoli is a struggle for your little one remember that exposrure is key. They can always pick around it in the recipe but the more often they see it the more comfortable they’ll become with it. I mention this in my upcoming cookbook but it’s been studied that it can take a toddler up to 30 (yes THIRTY!) exposures to a particular food before they try it. As always, continue to offer the foods you want your toddler to eventually enjoy and keep it low pressure at the dinner table.
This pasta is all about that creamy sweet sesame sauce! The sauce is so good that it can double as a dip for raw veggie sticks for snack time. I love this dish because it’s easy to prepare, packs a ton of protein, and is a nice way to introduce more complex flavors into your little one’s diet without being overly spicy or complicated.
Besides the sauce, the stars of this pasta are the broccoli, sausage and mushrooms. Again, mushrooms are hit or miss with little one’s. Pepper is obsessed with them so having them on her plate hasn’t ever been an issue. But if your toddler is struggling with a new food you can always deconstruct this pasta dish with noodles and sauce on one side, broccoli and mushrooms on another, and sausage on it’s own. We used to do that a lot when Pepper was 2 but now that’s she older she doesn’t mind having all of her food touching.
Anyhow, this pasta dish packs a ton of flavor and nutrition into one simple meal and I hope you and your family loves this as much as we do!
Recently Pepper has been “dressing up” for dinner in her nicest clothes which makes it more fun. She’s really into ringing our dinner bell, setting the table with plates and napkins and then she sits on the window sill because she calls it her “meal bench” and we just go with it. Again, mealtime with a toddler is all about having fun and keeping it low pressure. These little things really help keep it light and enjoyable.
Happy cooking everyone!
Sweet Sesame Buckwheat Noodles with Sausage and Broccoli
PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES COOK TIME: 25 MINUTES SERVES: 6-8
Sweet Sesame Sauce
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup coconut aminos (can sub low sodium-soy sauce)
3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (if your child is super sensitive to heat add only a tiny pinch to start)
water to thin as necessary
Pasta
1 pound pork sausage
1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms
8 ounces buckwheat penne noodles (or any shape)
8 ounces frozen broccoli florets (or sub fresh)
sesame seeds for topping
Preparation
Prepare the sauce by adding all the ingredients to a small blender, food processor or use an immersion blender and process until smooth. Add a few tablespoons of water to thin as needed. Taste for seasonings and adjust.
Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and a fat pinch of salt and pepper to the pan and cook, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat a bit. Cook until no longer pink and cooked through. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. Add the mushrooms and sauté until tender. Adding a few tablespoons of cooking fat to the pan if necessary. Return the pork to the pan and continue to cook and stir the mixture together until fragrant.
Cook the pasta according to package directions. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli florets. Once the pasta and broccoli are cooked, drain them and set aside. (If you’re using fresh broccoli it may take longer to become tender). Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
In a very large bowl add the cooked pasta, pork and veggies. Drizzle with the sauce and toss until everything is evenly coated. If necessary thin with the reserved pasta water. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and enjoy.
