3 Under 3 Update Plus Creamy Garlic and Basil Pasta is all about our life with 3 kids all 3 and under (got a set of twins in there!) and a super easy kid-loving pasta dish.
It’s been a number of months since I’ve had an opportunity to update you on our growing family and share what I’m currently obsessed with making that’s super quick and easy. Baby Lucy is 7 months old and total riot.
She’s enamoured with her sisters and pretty much loves life. Our twins were really good babies, however Lucy is a little gem of a baby and I cannot get over how lucky we are. She laughs constantly, puts up with many (somewhat fierce) hugs from her sisters, and always has the best smile on her face.
We’re still in the very intense phase of baby land, which leaves me extremely pressed for time. I physically cannot get everything I want to get done each day, not to mention the occasional crippling exhaustion that I’m facing from the ongoing night feedings. To assist with what little time I have to prepare dinners, I’ve been making a lot of quick easy pastas that are bowls of comfort and love. This Creamy Garlic and Basil Pasta has been a staple in our household at least once per week for the last month. 
The pasta has 1/2 cup of cream so it’s not heavy since the pasta makes about 6 servings resulting in very little cream per serving. I add in pasta water at the end to extend the sauce and the hit of garlic and fresh basil round out the recipe. The pasta I was using came in a 500 grams package; if the pasta you’re using is 1 pound / 454 grams, leave everything else as is. It’ll still taste delicious and work out fine.
I used a small amount of sliced prosciutto in this recipe; peas are an excellent vegetarian replacement or addition to this recipe. You can either add the peas to the pasta water or to cream sauce at the end to cook. They should only take a couple of minutes (frozen or fresh).
I’ve been trying to document little moments in all 3 baby books. Funny things the twins are currently saying, how Lucy folds into me for one final hug before I place her in her crib for the night, and other touching moments that I don’t want to risk forgetting. Z&I have also been very curious as what they were like as babies. We’ve been looking through their baby books, photos, and photo albums from when they were tiny babies. They even liked to get rocked by me in Lucy’s room when they’re in need of some extra love. It’s been a really wonderful time to be at home with all 3 of them.
It has also been so time-consuming that other things are falling off my plate. Working out, housekeeping, socializing are getting the short end of the stick, but I wouldn’t want to trade these special moments for anything. This blog is still not getting as much attention as it needs, but it’s not going anywhere and I am still having a lot of fun with it (when I have some spare time to dedicate to it). I try to balance life so that I’m not all about my kids (hence this food blog), but given Lucy’s age and demands I’m not shuffling things as much and I’m going all in with the kids.
My friend and fellow blogger over at Peaks and Harbours, Bethany took the image above for her series “People of Vancouver”, if you missed it you can read the article here. All 5 of us squeezed onto one sofa cushion for a final family shot that rainy afternoon. It makes me smile the way all 3 girls are doing their own thing, each so different and yet, so similar.
It’s been an interesting time watching the twins grow and become individuals more and more each day. They still refuse to be separated and I tend to watch over Z more than the other way around, but watching them interact and play is truly heartwarming. They still have their moments of bickering and making me want to pull my hair out, but I hope they always love each other and watch out for each other in this way.
Are you making anything quick and easy these days? I’d love to hear about it and spice things up before the twins declare that they don’t like pasta any more 😉
A super easy kid-loving pasta dish with a touch of cream and lots of basil for a fresh flavour.
- 500 grams dried pasta (such as fusilli, penne, bowtie, etc.)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 250 grams (1/2 lbs) thinly sliced prosciutto, sliced into 1/2" strips
- 2 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook package until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining. Place pasta back into the pot once drained.
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Meanwhile, add olive oil to a non-stick pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add prosciutto slices and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crispy. Remove from pan and set aside on paper towel.
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Reduce heat to medium and add garlic to pan. Cook for 2 minutes until fragrant and starting to brown. Add cream to pan and season with salt and pepper. (The cream should become hot, but not boiled at any point). Add reserved 1/2 cup of pasta water and parmesan cheese. Stir until cheese has melted.
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Add sauce to pasta pot and toss to fully coat pasta. Add basil and toss gently to mix in.
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Divide between bowls and top with further parmesan if desired.
Enjoy! xo
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