This is my nephew, Cole.

He’s 3.

And really cute.

He has been flowering up my life for the last 5 days as he plays, and smiles, and hugs, and kisses.

He’s very, very, friendly.

With a very small bladder.

The combination can be lethal.

On a recent trip to the public restroom after a long ride in the car watching DVD’s, Cole told a stranger in the restroom that we were watching a movie about her.

She chuckled, looked at me and smiled. “What movie are you guys watching?” she asked eagerly.

“Oh. . .I’m not sure. You know kid movies. . . . .Come on Cole. We have to go!” I said as I dragged that cute kid back to the car.

We were watching Nanny McPhee.

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Boy, can that Cole eat.

“I’m hungry NOW, Noney.” That’s what he calls me.

“Well Cole Baby”, that’s what I call him “It’s not time to eat. We’ll eat in a little bit.”

“My mommy said I can eat now. And my mommy said now I have two mommies. So can I eat now?”

He sure does drive a hard bargain.

And he sure does love this pasta.

Minus the “beans” which I corrected him are “peas”.

“Well peas” he says, “I don’t like them.”

“So, don’t eat them.”

He didn’t eat the peas. But he ate everything else, and asked for seconds. If that’s not a rave review, I don’t know what is.

I bet the Nanny McPhee restroom lady would happily chomp her way through this pasta too.

Creamy Bowtie Pasta with Cheese, Tomatoes and Peas

This dish is great meal that you can make quickly with staples already in your pantry and freezer. It’s meatless, which is great when . . .you either don’t have any meat handy, can’t eat meat, or just don’t want too.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Bowtie Pasta
1 TB olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 garlic clove, diced
15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet on medium/high. Add onions and cook until translucent 3-5 minutes. Add garlic. Cook one minute longer.
3. Add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes longer. Stir in peas and cream and mix until pinkish in color. Turn off heat.
4. Drain pasta, and reserve 1 cup of pasta water.

5. Add pasta to the creamy tomato sauce and coat completely. Add parmesan and stir. If needed, slowly add pasta water until the sauce is a creamy consistency. Season with salt and serve warm or at room temperature.