Cooking with Kids: Rao’s Simple Chicken Spaghetti

One of my favorite mom experiences is cooking with my kids. It is a true bonding experience that teaches valuable life skills that will help them become productive adult humans. Recently, my youngest of only 7 and I got down to business in the kitchen creating a Rao’s Chicken Spaghetti.

Cooking with Kids: Rao’s Simple Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients:

• 1 Jar Rao’s Vodka Sauce
• 1 lb Pre-cooked Chicken
• 1 Pkg Rao’s Rigatoni Pasta
• 1 T Rao’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Let’s get to cooking:

1. Boil water and a dash of salt in large pot for pasta.
2. Once boiling, add entire package of Rao’s Rigatoni Pasta.
3. Boil for 10-12 minutes or until the pasta texture you prefer.
4. While pasta cooks, heat large skillet and add Rao’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
5. Add pre-cooked chicken and cook about 7 minutes on medium-high stirring often.
6. Turn skillet temperature down to medium heat and slowly pour in entire jar of Rao’s Vodka Sauce
7. Stir sauce until well mixed.
8. Once pasta is ready, drain and add into sauce mixture.
9. Toss and Serve!

This simple dinner is great for those nights when you are just too busy to cook a lengthy meal or maybe you are a busy mom and like me just forgot to take something out for dinner. Keeping easy to make items like pasta, sauces and pre-cooked chicken are a smart idea for any family.

Final thoughts: Rao’s Vodka Sauce was very robust with a bit of a twang. It was a welcomed change to our bi-weekly pasta night and paired like a champ even under our pre-cooked, quick prep situation. I enjoyed it more than our typical tomato based sauce. However, the kids were on the fence. Then again, they are ketsup junkies and tend to prefer anything that is well condiment tasting. Would I buy it again? Yes, I plan to keep a jar on hand. Next time, I want to try it as a dipping sauce for our homemade bread. YUM!

Rao’s Rigatoni Pasta and Rao’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil were both perfection. The pasta cooked as instructed and were large mouthful style. These would be prefect in a stand alone dish with only olive oil and cheese. As for the olive oil, I was thrilled. We really do not use it as often as I would like, but I hope that will change. In fact, a bottle of Rao’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil is going with us on the 365.4.50 tour and will be our go to!

Thank you to Rao’s for sponsoring this cooking with kids segment. It was a pleasure to try out this selection of pastas and sauces. The entire MDefined family was pleasantly surprised with the outcome.

• Rao’s Specialty Foods pasta sauces are made from natural ingredients such as Italian plum tomatoes and fresh vegetables.
• The sauce selection includes two Southern Italian favorites: Spicy Arrabbiata Sauce with just the right amount of crushed red pepper, and Puttanesca Sauce, a combination of tomatoes, anchovies, capers and olives.
• Rao’s Specialty Foods also offers a selection of dressings and marinades, extra virgin olive oil, organic vinegar, aged balsamic vinegar, white balsamic condiment, balsamic glazes, Italian pasta, certified organic Italian Tomatoes.