'Good For Us' pasta and Marinara Sauce

There are many varieties of pasta that have a greater nutritional value than the standard enriched white flour kind: whole wheat, whole grain, multi-grain, gluten-free etc. and we try to mix it up. One of them I use to bring smiles to the kids faces is the organic alphabet pasta by Trader Joe's. (man, I wish they paid me every time I typed their name). Not only are these cuties visually appealing to kids because they are letters, they are also colorful due to the tomato and spinach powders. To add to the nutrients, I top them with my homemade marinara sauce that is so loaded with vitamins and antioxidants (lycopene, vitamin C etc.), I expect my hands to look 10 years younger when I am done making it (why can't it be that easy?). This time I made the sauce using crushed tomatoes by Dei Fratelli. When they wrote and offered to send them, I agreed because they make a line of canned products with no or low sodium. I found them to be lively and fresh so thank you and keep up the good work Dei.

Also, I want to share my kitchen essentials and the contest winner: Strainer, Scraper, Immersion Blender, Zester, Chef/Santoki Knife, Parchment and Wax papers, and Citrus Juicer.

The winner of the cookbook (she choose the union square book), is Donna of My Tasty Treasures. Congrats Donna!