I try to make frozen food my friend. Tonight we sampled Oliverie brand cheese tortellini from Costco...more preferable than the Kirkland cheese ravioli we ate last week. If I would have read the ravioli package, I wouldn't have bought it because it contains goat cheese...intolerable to two of our diners, one being me!
Frequently with pasta, I serve a simple Caesar salad (from an Everyday Food recipe)...romaine lettuce dressed with appx. 1/3 cup lite mayo, 1/2 of a lemon juiced, a few dashes of worcestershire and freshly grated parmesan cheese. I usually mix the dressing in the salad bowl, then add the lettuce and toss.
Diners who don't enjoy greens ate leftover carrot salad from the previous evening. I started making this after we went on a trip to Austria. This type of salad was on the salad bar every night. I shred a lot of carrots in the food processor and make a dressing of 2/3 cup vegetable oil, 1/3 cup white vinegar,2 teaspoons or so of sugar, 1 teaspoon or so of salt (salt and sugar to taste). The kids love this. Sugar + veggies. It's a win-win.
