Pastina wth Carrots & Peas

We have a battle of wills going on at our house. It involves a 4-year-old and an almost 2-year-old, who do not want to eat their dinner. In fact, they don't want to eat much of anything that is good for them. So, usually dinner time involves force-feeding the baby, until he realizes that his dinner actually tastes good. With the 4-year-old it is a case of "you have to take 4 bites of everything on your plate," which falls into the category of things I swore I would never do to my children.

So, I have been looking for interesting ways to encourage them to make better choices. I was inspired when I saw this recipe for pasta. Because, just like most kids, they eat pasta! {Pastina with Peas and Carrots}
orginal recipe here
4 oz pastina or other small-shaped pasta
1 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely diced
1 medium carrots, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup low-sodium beef stock
1/2 cup frozen petite peas, thawed
1/4 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
kosher salt

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 7 minutes. Add the carrots and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add the peas to the pan and cook for 2 minutes until the peas are warmed through and the carrots are tender. Stir in the cooked pasta. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cheeses. Stir until the mixture is incorporated and forms a sauce. Season with salt, to taste. You can thin the sauce with the reserved pasta water, if needed.