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Nigella’s yummy recipes get kids in the kitchen

If you want to get your children to help you in the kitchen, here are some recipes that’ll do the trick. Cookbook author Nigella Lawson, host of the Style network's "Forever Summer with Nigella," visited “Today” to show parents and kids how to make everything from muffins to meatballs. Here’s Nigella's kid-friendly menu.Pasta With Meatballs Nigella LawsonServes 6This is definitely time-con
/ Source: TODAY

If you want to get your children to help you in the kitchen, here are some recipes that’ll do the trick. Cookbook author Nigella Lawson, host of the Style network's "Forever Summer with Nigella," visited “Today” to show parents and kids how to make everything from muffins to meatballs. Here’s Nigella's kid-friendly menu.

Pasta With Meatballs Nigella Lawson

Serves 6

This is definitely time-consuming, but here I make no apology for that. There is nothing like serving up a bowl of pasta with meatballs to make you feel like an Italian mama out of a Hollywood film. I don't mean one of those redoubtable types in amorphous black: think Sophia Loren in the kitchen. It works for me.

The trick to these meatballs is to keep them small. Don’t actually use a teaspoon, but use about a teaspoon's amount of ground meat to roll each ball. If there are children around, so much the better; they tend to like making these. But otherwise, they're easy enough, and the slow repetitiveness of the action can be rather calming.

For the meatballs: Just put everything in a large bowl and then, using your hands, mix to combine before shaping into small balls. Place the meatballs on baking sheets or plates lined with plastic wrap, and put each in the refrigerator as you finish them.

Put the onion, garlic and oregano into a food processor and blitz to a pulp. Heat the butter and oil in a deep, wide pan, then scrape the onion-garlic mix into it and cook over low to medium heat for about 10 minutes. Don't let the mixture stick, just let it become soft. Add the tomatoes and then add about 3/4 cup cold water to the pan with the pinch of sugar and some salt and pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes. The tomato sauce may appear thin at this stage, but don't worry, as it will thicken a little later. Stir in the milk, and then drop the meatballs in one by one. Don't stir the pan until the meatballs have turned from pink to brown, as you don't want to break them up. Cook everything for about 20 minutes, with the lid only partially covering it. At the end of cooking time, check the seasoning, as you may want more salt and a grind or two more of pepper. Serve over pasta.

912297133091ground pork9ounce9 ounces ground porkground beef9ounce9 ounces ground beefegg11 eggfreshly grated parmesan2tablespoon2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesanminced garlic1clove1 clove minced garlicdried oregano1teaspoon1 teaspoon dried oreganofine bread crumbs3tablespoon3 tablespoons fine bread crumbsGood grind of black peppersalt1teaspoon1 teaspoon saltonion11 oniongarlic2clove2 cloves garlicdried oregano1teaspoon1 teaspoon dried oreganounsalted butter1tablespoon1 tablespoon unsalted butterolive oil (not extra-virgin)1tablespoon1 tablespoon olive oil (not extra-virgin)canned tomatoes in puree24ounce24 ounces canned tomatoes in pureewater0.75cup3/4 cup watersugarpinchPinch of sugarSalt and pepperwhole milk0.4cup1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole milk