Kids Cuisine

I may be going out on a limb here, but I doubt it. There a lot of noodle-crazy kids out there who wouldn’t touch a dish of macaroni with red sauce if it was the last plate of spaghetti on earth. And for every kid who wants his pasta “with butter, no sauce!” there’s a mom out there who is just confounded by her darling picky eater tucking into that bland bowl of naked pasta while the rest of the family eats white or red or green sauce.

Well, here’s a solution that just might work: Gremolata. Why should finicky kids like this? What sets this pasta topper apart from the usual sauces? For starters, it’s not a sauce. There are no icky tomato chunks to fish out and squirrel away in a napkin, no greasy green pesto lips to contend with. Yet, it’s flavorful enough that the entire family will want to eat it, and its name sounds like “gremlins.” (As if that weren’t enough, it’s got almost no fat and very few calories.)

Gremolata is great on pasta — even pasta scantily clad in nothing but a drizzle of olive oil — but don’t stop there. Traditionally used as condiment for osso bucco, gremolata can be sprinkled on any kind of roasted meat or poultry, soup, or stew.

Kids can help with this one by zesting the lemon and grinding the pepper; older kids cans snip the herbs.

Basil Gremolata for Pasta

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a small bowl, combine parsley, basil, lemon zest, and garlic; toss to combine. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, and toss again.

Serve as a condiment with pasta, and let each diner sprinkle the gremolata over his or her meal.

Makes about 1/4 cup (2 generous servings)