I’m a planner. I like things done a certain way. I try to follow a weekly schedule to make sure I get all of my daily and weekly projects done. As my kids go back to school, we say goodbye to our summer routine and hello to a new school routine.

Not only do we have to get used to a new school schedule this year, but my daughters are looking to play soccer AND enroll in dance classes after school. As a dad who works from home you might think it’s easy to prepare weekly meals, but don’t be fooled. That’s where Barilla comes in.

Each week I plan out the meals when I do the grocery shopping, but having the ingredients is one thing. Cooking them is another.

In the summer we can cook at a easy pace. There’s no schedule to follow. If we eat later than our “usual” time, so what? There’s plenty of time to cook a meal.

When the school year starts back up – time is not on our side.

After school is a super busy time for me. I’m looking to help with my kids’ homework, drive them to a class or get to soccer practice on time. Then, once we get home, I need to cook a meal that doesn’t take too long to prepare since this beautiful family will more than likely turn into a hungry pack of wolves. Trying not to have them run into the pantry to get a snack is a job all in itself.

So to keep them from snacking or having to break up any fights while I’m cooking a meal – one would say that I have a lot on my plate (pun intended). Except a meal. There are no meals on said plate. That’s an issue!

On days that are more hectic than others I always turn to a family recipe that’s a sure hit. One of those go to meals is from my mother-in-law. My wife took some of her family favorite recipes and brought them into our marriage. Now we’re introducing THIS family recipe and others to our daughters.

That go-to meal that we love is a recipe called Fresh Cuts. It’s a simple dish of spaghetti with ground beef and chopped up fresh vegetables. My whole family loves it. I use the best gas cooktop with downdraft and it doesn’t take that long to make and has become a staple in our home. It combines protein and vegetables, all in one dish. It’s great since I don’t have to sound like a broken record constantly asking my kids to eat their veggies. To me that’s a win!

As a parent, I’m always looking to make a great tasting and nutritious meal for our family that doesn’t take all day to make. Plus – with this recipe we usually have leftovers for lunch the next day. The kids are happy that they get to eat this meal again and so am I!

Time is always precious and we here at Life of Dad are challenging all of you dads out there to come up with a tasty meal using ANY pasta from the Barilla line that can be completed in 30 minutes or less! NOTE: I’m honestly not even sure that you guys need to try since Fresh Cuts is the clear “cut” winner!

We can’t wait to see your meal and why you and your family love that recipe!

If you’re looking to join in on the conversation, make sure you use the hashtag #InTheKitchenWithDad to see which recipe comes out on top. As a parent, I know how busy you guys are during back-to-school season.

Without further ado, here is my family recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does! Mangia!  

Fresh Cuts

Ingredients:

  • 6 oz. of Barilla Thin Spaghetti
  • 1 lb. of ground beef
  • 1 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
  • 1 8 oz. can of Barilla tomato sauce
  • 1 medium carrot sliced
  • 1 medium zucchini cubed
  • 1 onion diced

Directions:

Cook pasta as directed on the package to a perfect al dente texture. (Cooking time and directions will vary on which type of Barilla pasta you use.) In a skillet cook ground beef with onion. (you can use ground turkey if you prefer.) Drain the meat. Add tomatoes, sauce and carrots. Cook uncovered over medium heat for 8 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the zucchini and simmer for 7 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Then spoon the meat, sauce and veggies over the pasta. Serve with garlic bread if desired.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Barilla and their #InTheKitchenWithDad campaign. To learn more about them, click HERE or follow them on Facebook and Twitter!