Pasta for dinner

[Anonymous]

I’m not Italian and pretty much all my kids ever want to eat is pasta.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I am Indian and we often serve rice or roti/paratha with a potato/root vegetable dish. I’ve had many questions about this.

But do you just serve your guests a potato or bowl of rice for lunch? One or the other, definitely not both, and just butter for sauce.

This is such a good example. Giving your guest a potato is super weird. Serving up a loaded baked potato (butter, cheese, bacon, sour cream, chives, maybe some broccoli) would actually be a meal. Buttered noodles = not a meal. Pasta with some kind of sauce = meal.

Jesus Christ lady, holy heart attack on a spud! Give me the buttered noodles any day over the monstrosity you serve your guests: butter AND cheese AND bacon AND chives AND broccoli.

You will eat your potato and you will like it. Otherwise never come back again!

I actually love a baked potato, but just with butter and a bit of salt. Hold the rest.

The moral of this story is you eat what you are served. Nobody asked how you liked it.

I think it's fine to decline the pasta, without saying "ugh, that's it?"

Except no ugh was uttered. You added it in for dramatic flair.

It's implied. No adult could possibly be so confused that when they are offered lunch and then handed a bowl of pasta that they honestly have to ask if this is the lunch.

I'm sure you can find anything in a comment if you look hard enough. Maybe it was said brightly. Changes the tone completely. You made this for us?!

Based on the OP story we know exactly what the tone was. Words look innocent enough, tone is everything.

I still remember this ahole I worked with when we had some conversation and college stuff was brought up. I said something about student government and she replied “YOU were in student government?” And she kept at it with that tone. To get her to stop I said it wasn’t a big deal at my school. She was implying I wasn’t bright enough to be on it. I regret my reply to this day.

You weren’t there, so no, you can speak to the tone. If OP felt that strongly about it she would come back to explain. But first she would have to wade through all the comments letting her know the lunch was stupid.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:As an Italian, I don't believe in serving buttered pasta - unless the kid is very ill. We hosted a playdate at our our house recently where we made homemade ravioli (squash/ricotta) and I served a big plate of sliced veggies, pickled veggies, fresh mozerella, etc, and just some fresh fruit for dessert. Pasta for lunch is very typical and does not need anything more than that. American children get a lot of protein - and anyone adding chicken to pasta - should go straight to jail.

This is perfect. What you served is ideal, but for quick stop in lunch what OP served is good, probably better than what almost anyone here would serve.

I know that people like to make their kids being adventurous eaters their whole personality but I can think of maybe two kids under 7 who would eat squash ravioli and pickled vegetables. I would think you were trying way too hard with this lunch rather than trying to make a meal most kids would like.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:For real though. Those of y’all who have a problem with what OP served, what would you have offered at an impromptu, post-playdate lunch? If it were me I’d probably have pulled out sandwich fixings (and sure, I always have fruit around so I’d probably offer that too). Maybe a bag of chips. I certainly wouldn’t be whipping up an elaborate meal, and I’d rather have homemade pasta alla vodka than a boring sandwich!

Do people really just not ever host if they haven’t pre planned a full course meal with optimal balance of lean protein, whole grains, fruits and fresh veg? That’s sad to me. I love that my friends are easy and casual and would happily come over for a DIY sandwich if a playdate ran into lunchtime and we wanted to keep the fun going.

I would not have invited unless I knew we had some food. Or if they came over, I'd check in with the other mom. Hey, we have spaghetti noodles and red sauce / vodka sauce. I also have sandwich ingredients. What do you guys like? Same with fruit/veg - would anyone like some (salad , apple slices , carrots , etc. ).

Same. At the park I would ask if they were ok with eating [insert lame food] at my house. That way the other mom has an exit if the food I'm proposing is not up to her standards. Saves everyone embarrassment.

[Anonymous]

Every time I go to a restaurant and see buttered noodles on the kids menu , I’m going to think of this thread now. I’m not sure if my kids were ever served vegetables with it.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:OP, next time you should consider serving spiced and lightly fried tuna. With some Code Red Mountain Dew, since water doesn't really quench the thirst.

Or chicken salad!

Or 1 sprig of asparagus

Perhaps a pear, wedge of Gouda, and tiny snifter of Frangelico for dessert?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:OP, next time you should consider serving spiced and lightly fried tuna. With some Code Red Mountain Dew, since water doesn't really quench the thirst.

Or chicken salad!

Or 1 sprig of asparagus

Perhaps a pear, wedge of Gouda, and tiny snifter of Frangelico for dessert?

I was on team "never say something about the food unless it's complimentary". But I have now switched sides. Saying something about the pasta was rude, but if you serve my 6 year old Frangelico, we will have words.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I think it's weird that you specifically invited the mom and kid over for lunch if you were basically just going to serve a bowl of noodles with no fiber. In my culture that'd be like specifically inviting people over to eat a bowl of rice with butter in it, or a bowl of rice with nori.
Like, why bother? Why not just say you had a great time, goodbye?

Alternatively, you could have invited them to have a snack and drink.

Sometimes the company is more important than the food.

No, when you are invited to lunch or dinner to someone’s home it is always about company. If you accept the invitation, you eat what you are served (allergies aside), yes, even if it is not your favorite and you say thank you. This is how you adult.

Most of us are not condoning OP's acquaintance's comment. But we are telling OP - reality check, yeah it was weird to just serve a bowl of pasta with nothing in it or with it.

That is not what OP did.

What did OP serve with the kid's pasta? Butter alone doesn't really count for much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an Italian, I don't believe in serving buttered pasta - unless the kid is very ill. We hosted a playdate at our our house recently where we made homemade ravioli (squash/ricotta) and I served a big plate of sliced veggies, pickled veggies, fresh mozerella, etc, and just some fresh fruit for dessert. Pasta for lunch is very typical and does not need anything more than that. American children get a lot of protein - and anyone adding chicken to pasta - should go straight to jail.

This is perfect. What you served is ideal, but for quick stop in lunch what OP served is good, probably better than what almost anyone here would serve.

I know that people like to make their kids being adventurous eaters their whole personality but I can think of maybe two kids under 7 who would eat squash ravioli and pickled vegetables. I would think you were trying way too hard with this lunch rather than trying to make a meal most kids would like.

My kids are extremely picky eaters but LOVE the butternut squash ravioli from trader joes- I'm not sure they even know it's squash, they just call it the "orange" ravioli.

Anyway that lunch sounds amazing PP. And sometimes kids are more likely to try new or unusual foods if it's outside their own home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Every time I go to a restaurant and see buttered noodles on the kids menu , I’m going to think of this thread now. I’m not sure if my kids were ever served vegetables with it.

Generally at restaurants kids are served what you order for them. I am willing to bet that the restaurant had vegetables on the menu, but you did not choose them.

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Anonymous wrote:I think it sounds delicious and sounds like your friend was envious- she probably serves up goldfish, Dino nuggets, and fruit snacks for lunch at home.

and is proud of herself because muh protein!

Some of you guys are really projecting.i serve pasta all the time and never serve the type of processed crap you describe and I still think serving only buttered noodles as a meal is strange. But again I wouldn’t say anything if someone served that to me.

+ 1
But, I won't let my kid eat it either.

Seriously, what kind of crap meal is this? Famine time?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Every time I go to a restaurant and see buttered noodles on the kids menu , I’m going to think of this thread now. I’m not sure if my kids were ever served vegetables with it.

Generally at restaurants kids are served what you order for them. I am willing to bet that the restaurant had vegetables on the menu, but you did not choose them.

Right, because a side dish of vegetables is not necessary with a bowl of pasta. Pasta with butter is a dish that children tend to eat. You can go to a restaurant and order pasta with butter or vodka sauce and be served that for lunch, because that is a meal. They'll throw in some free bread probably, but won't serve you vegetables and protein automatically.

[Anonymous]

Forget what OP served to her guests, I am shocked that such trash meal is eaten by her own kids.

I am not Italian and I love pasta. I use a lot of pre-made pasta (stuffed ravioli or tortellini ) and jarred pasta sauces (Rao's). If I was using a regular pasta from the box, I would still saute some garlic and mushrooms and add it to the pasta. Even if I did not throw in bacon or sausage bits. What about a side of blanched spinach, with a dash of pesto and some toasted pinenuts?

It is easy to slice some tomatoes and mozzarella with some fresh basil leaves. A salad of just sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, arugula leaves and with olive oil, lemon juice and salt?

I mean OP served shit food. And unless you were living under a bridge in a cardboard box....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, next time you should consider serving spiced and lightly fried tuna. With some Code Red Mountain Dew, since water doesn't really quench the thirst.

Or chicken salad!

Or 1 sprig of asparagus

Perhaps a pear, wedge of Gouda, and tiny snifter of Frangelico for dessert?

I was on team "never say something about the food unless it's complimentary". But I have now switched sides. Saying something about the pasta was rude, but if you serve my 6 year old Frangelico, we will have words.

Just tell the kid "It's spicy" and it's all yours. Double shot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Husband and I are both Italian. His parents “are off the boat”. My grandparents were too and my parents were born in this country.

We have always had pasta for lunch or dinner.

I was with my kids (girl age 6 and boy 4) and a friend and her kids at a park. I invited them back to our house for lunch.

I made pasta-penne with butter for the kids and vodka sauce for myself and my friend.

She looked at it and said “is this lunch? A bowl of pasta?”

I said yes this is what we usually have. She looked at me oddly and didn’t say anything else and ate.

But what a weird response.

She is not rude. She was just surprised.