Pasta with Salmon and Peas

As you can probably tell by now, Abby is a pasta kind of kid. Because I know I can call something "noodles" and she is likely to eat it, I use pasta as a bridge to get her to eat different things or try different flavors. So whereas on the face, it looks like a lot of pasta lunches and dinners, she's really trying a whole variety of tastes and flavors... or at least, that's what I tell myself!

Pasta with Salmon and Peas

Total time: 15 minutes

2 cups dry whole wheat pasta
1 cup frozen peas
1 6-oz can of pink salmon, drained
2-3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp mustard (yellow or Dijon)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp nonfat milk
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare pasta according to package directions. When the pasta has about 5 minutes left to boil, add in the frozen peas. Drain the peas and pasta.

While the pasta is boiling, combine the salmon, 2 Tbsp mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, and milk in a food processor and puree until smooth. Add additional mayonnaise if desired and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss the sauce with the pasta and the peas until well combined.

This is a play on tuna noodle casserole - I pureed the salmon because I thought Abby might be suspicious of the little chunks otherwise, and it made for a very creamy sauce without having to use much mayonnaise. Abby thought it was delicious! Hooray for pasta!