The Muppets never seem to go out of style, do they? Millions of kids still love Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Animal, and the other Muppets. If your child is one of them, and he or she loves the Muppets’ Animal, you can make a delicious treat that looks just like him. Pink hair all gnarled, that crazy but adorable look on his face – your kids will love the Animal snack in more ways than one.
First, you’ll make a beet sauce which will help you tint pasta to the color of Animal from the Muppets. Peel and quarter two medium beets and place them in a saucepan. The beet juice won’t stain your hands if you peel and cut them under running water. Fill the pan with water and boil for about 20 minutes until they are tender. Another choice is to just use canned beets.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet while waiting for the beets to boil. Slice a half of an onion into really thin slices and place it in the hot oil. Sautee until tender and browned – about ten minutes.
Boil spaghetti noodles as you normally do, drain them, then boil them again in the beet sauce. When the pasta has turned a bright pink color it’s ready to be removed from the liquid. Drain the liquid and pile a small, round mound of the pasta on a plate, then flatten it slightly on top. The spaghetti should be shaped to make Animal’s head.
Arrange some Italian parsley on an area near the top of the face. Cut a hard-boiled egg in half, scoop out the centers, and replace those with pitted, black olives. Lay these on the parsley to make the eyes for Animal.
Place a cherry tomato under the eggs to make a nose for the Muppet. Cut a strip from a yellow or orange pepper and set it on the spaghetti mound for a mouth. Cut small, misshapen pieces of mozzarella cheese and arrange them, right above the pepper strip, as the teeth for Animal.
The Muppet pasta dish is fun for kids because it features one of their favorite characters and parents love the meal because it’s wholesome. With pasta, a hard-boiled egg, and vegetables, the dish is an appropriate meal for kids who are often fussy about what they eat. When they eat Animal they wrap entertainment and a meal all in one.