Creating Mother’s Day Memories And New Traditions

For me, food is strongly tied to my traditions and to my culture. It’s tied not only to traditions but also to memories. That is why I love cooking with my daughter, who loves cooking as much as I do, so much so that one of her favorite TV shows is The Chew! We love preparing dishes together and experimenting with what we both like. For Mother’s Day, she loves to cook for me with Dad’s help, of course. Pasta is one of her favorite foods, and she would probably eat spaghetti every day.

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This year, she and Daddy prepared a delicious, super-easy pasta dish for me for Mother’s Day using Barilla® Spaghetti.

I love that this recipe also incorporates some Latino flavors: a little heat from the jalapeños and the Cotija cheese, a Mexican crumbled cheese very similar to Parmesan. These flavors take me back to my roots, to my country, and to great memories.  

I believe there is no better way to celebrate mothers than doing it around the table and around the kitchen, together as a family. And that is why I love that Barilla® is celebrating mothers in this way as well.

Now that I am a mother, I find that preparing food with my daughter is one of my favorite things to do. I love that I can spend that time with her, and I mostly enjoy sharing with her the memories and traditions that are important to me through food.

We are creating new family traditions together, and I think it’s truly special that she wants to cook for me on Mother’s Day just like I loved cooking for my mom on Mother’s Day when I was a little girl.

I always get Barilla® pasta at our neighborhood Walmart. I love that Barilla® always tastes fresh and delicious!

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Spaghetti with Chicken and Spicy Tomato Sauce

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Spaghetti tossed in a spicy tomato sauce with browned chicken thighs, fresh oregano, jalapeño, and white wine, finished with crumbled Cotija cheese.

5.0 Stars (1 Review)

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Ingredients

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• 1 box of Barilla® Spaghetti
• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 boneless chicken thighs, diced into ½-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, leaves only
• 1 jalapeño pepper, sliced
• ½ cup white wine, dry
• 2 pounds plum tomatoes, crushed
• Salt to taste
• ½ cup Cotija Cheese

• 1 cup water

Instructions

1. Place a pot of water to boil.

2. Meanwhile, in a skillet, brown the chicken thighs with ½ of the extra virgin olive oil, and add oregano and sliced jalapeño pepper.

3. After one minute, stir in dry wine and reduce to half.

4. Add crushed tomatoes and one cup of water, season with salt, and bring to a boil.

5. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions, drain, and toss with sauce.

6. Stir in the remaining extra virgin olive oil and the Cotija cheese before serving.

7. Garnish with oregano.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 330Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 5gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 280mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 23g

Nutritional values are estimates calculated using standard databases. Actual values may vary based on specific ingredients and brands used.

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Paula Bendfeldt-Diaz

Paula Bendfeldt-Díaz is a Guatemalan travel writer, photographer, and founder of Growing Up Bilingual. After spending more than 15 years in the United States, she now lives in Guatemala and shares detailed travel guides, traditional Guatemalan recipes, and cultural insights based on a lifetime of firsthand experience.

Through her writing, Paula helps travelers discover Guatemala beyond the typical tourist route with practical advice, local recommendations, and authentic experiences that connect visitors with the country’s people, culture, and traditions.

Planning a trip to Guatemala? Paula offers personalized Guatemala itinerary planning and trip consultation services tailored to your interests, travel style, and budget. Contact her at [email protected] to learn more.

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