Pasta is a family staple for good reason – not only is it delicious and one of the easiest and quickest things to make, but it’s also packed with fibre, protein and a host of other nutritional benefits.
But it’s not just for adults, pasta is a fantastic weaning food and a brilliant way to introduce texture to your little one.
It’s such a versatile food, you can add to soups, serve hot or cold, dress up or down however you please – the possibilities are endless!
These are our top 10 baby pasta recipes that definitely pasta the taste test!
Cheesy Broccoli Pasta
Looking for a quick & delicious meal for your baby? Using one-pot, 4-ingredients, and made in less than 15 minutes, what’s not to love?
- 10 minutes
- 4 small portions
Ingredients
150g broccoli florets
75g small pasta shapes
30g parmesan, grated
2 tablespoons cream cheese
Method
- Put the broccoli into a steamer and steam for 4-5 minutes. Cook the pasta in boiling water, reserve 2 tablespoons of pasta water before draining.
- Put the broccoli with the pasta water into a jug. Blend until smooth using a stick blender. Add the cream cheese and parmesan and stir until melted.
- Return the cooked pasta to the saucepan. Add the broccoli sauce and mix together.
Roasted Vegetables with Baby Pasta Shells
This tasty Roasted Vegetables with Baby Pasta Shells recipe is perfect for your little one. Tiny pasta shells with veggies is an ideal way to introduce texture to your baby’s food.
Ingredients
75g mini pasta shells
120g butternut squash, peeled and diced
A knob of butter
2 large tomatoes, skinned deseeded and diced
50g baby spinach, chopped
3 tbsp finely grated Parmesan or vegetarian Italian hard cheese
1 clove garlic , crushed
Method
- Cook the pasta shells in boiling water according to the packet instructions Drain and reserve 4 tbsp of water.
- Cook the squash in a steamer for 5 minutes .
- Melt the butter in a saucepan . Add the tomatoes and garlic and fry for one minute . Add the spinach and stir , then add the squash, pasta, water and grated Parmesan. Stir over the heat for 10 seconds.
Pasta Shells with Tomato & Mascarpone Sauce
This Pasta Shells with Tomato & Mascarpone Sauce recipe is a simple and delicious pasta dish that’s perfect for babies and toddlers.
Ingredients
1tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, peeled and chopped
30g carrot, diced
30g zucchini, diced
15g celery, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
50g button mushrooms, chopped
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp apple juice
60g pasta shells
2tbsp torn basil leaves (optional)
3tbsp Mascarpone
3tbsp grated Parmesan
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and then sauté the onion, carrot, zucchini and celery for 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and sauté for one minute. Add the button mushrooms and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and apple juice, and simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cook the pasta shells according to the packet instructions.
- Remove the tomato mixture from the heat, add the basil and blend the mixture in a food processor. Return the mixture to the pan and stir in the Mascarpone and Parmesan. Strain the pasta and then stir it into the sauce.
Popeye Pasta
This pasta dish contains spinach with is a great source of various vitamins. Mixing tiny pasta shapes into your baby’s food is also a good way to add texture to encourage your baby to eat more lumpy food. Try my organic pasta with this dish!
- Suitable For Freezing
- 10 mins
- 3 portions
Ingredients
150 g fresh spinach, washed
30 g mini pasta shells
15 g unsalted butter
2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp cream cheese
4 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated
Method
- Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
- Carefully wash the spinach and cook with just the water clinging to its leaves in a saucepan over a low heat for about 2 minutes until tender. Gently press out the excess water. If using frozen spinach, cook according to the packet instructions.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small frying pan and sauté the cooked spinach. Stir in the cream cheese and the milk.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese until melted. Chop finely in a food processor. Mix with the cooked pasta.
- Follow this up with fruit when serving as dinner for a 9-12 month old.
Pasta Shells with Salmon & Broccoli
A baby’s brain grows rapidly between birth and three years, and most of this growth takes place in the first year, so it’s important to introduce fish such as salmon early on. So, this Pasta Shells with Salmon & Broccoli, is the perfect recipe to get them started!
- Suitable For Freezing
- 15 minutes
- 4 portions
Ingredients
50g salmon fillet
150ml unsalted vegetable or chicken stock
40g baby pasta shells
Knob of unsalted butter
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
2 tsp plain flour
100ml milk
50g broccoli, roughly chopped
3 tbsp creme fraiche
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp fresh dill, chopped
1/2 tsp fresh chives, chopped
Method
- To cook the salmon, either poach the fish in a little of the stock over a low heat for 3-4 minutes, or until it flakes easily with a fork, or cook in a microwave with a couple of tablespoons of stock for about 2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Drain.
- To make the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion and saute for 3-4 minutes until just soft. Add the flour and mix together, then blend in the remaining stock and milk. Bring to the boil. Add the broccoli and simmer, covered, for 5-6 minutes until soft
- Whiz in a food processor until smooth. Stir in the creme fraiche, Parmesan, lemon juice, herbs and cooked salmon. Simmer for 2 minutes. Serve the drained pasta with the sauce.
Baby’s First Bolognese Sauce
Babies need iron from 6 months so recipes such as Baby’s First Bolognese Sauce are great options to help up their intake during weaning.
- Suitable For Freezing
- 30 minutes
- 3 portions
Ingredients
1 tbsp vegetable oil
50g onion, finely chopped
20g celery, chopped
1 small clove garlic, crushed
1 medium carrot (approx 85g), peeled and grated
100g lean minced beef
150ml Passata
100ml unsalted stock or boiling water
¼ tsp fresh thyme leaves or a pinch of dried thyme
3 tbsp baby pasta shapes
Method
- Heat the oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion and celery over a low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the grated carrot and sauté for 4 minutes.
- In a separate pan, dry fry the minced beef until browned, stirring occasionally.
- Add to the onion and carrot. Pour over the tomato sauce, boiling water or stock and add the thyme.
- Cover and cook over a low heat for about 12 minutes.
- Remove from the pan and pulse for a second or two in a blender to make a smoother texture.
- Meanwhile, cook the baby pasta according to the packet instructions.
- Drain and mix with the Bolognese sauce.
Pasta with Tomato, Sweet Potato & Cheese
This Pasta with Tomato, Sweet Potato & Cheese recipe has a delicious sauce that is fairly thick and enriched with veggies. It can be mixed with pasta, fish or chicken.
- Suitable For Freezing
- 35 minutes
- 6 portions
Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
600ml unsalted vegetable stock
150g carrots, peeled and sliced
250g sweet potato, peeled and chopped
55g Cheddar cheese, grated
2 tbsp single cream or milk
Method
- Heat the oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion for about 4 minutes until softened.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute.
- Add the sweet potato and carrots, then pour in the tomatoes and boiling vegetable stock or water.
- Bring to the boil, stirring, then cover the pan and simmer for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
- Allow to cool slightly, add the milk or cream, then blend the sauce to a puree and stir in the cheese until melted.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet. Drain the pasta and mix with the sauce.
Pasta Stars with Veggie Sauce
Pasta Stars with Veggie Sauce takes only 10 minutes to prepare! A super easy tasty veggie sauce to pour over pasta.
- Suitable For Freezing
- 10 minutes
- 3 portions
Ingredients
3 tbsp pasta shells, uncooked
75 g zucchini, trimmed and diced
20 g butter
3 medium tomatoes (about 200g), skinned, deseeded and chopped
30 g cheddar cheese, grated
1 1/2 tsp cream cheese
Method
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.
- Steam the zucchini for 4 to 5 minutes until tender.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the tomatoes and cook over a low heat for 3 minutes or until mushy.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the Cheddar and cream cheese until melted.
- Stir in the zucchini and whiz in a blender. Strain the pasta and mix with the sauce.
Pasta with Three Cheese Sauce
Cheese is one of the richest sources of calcium which helps children’s bones grow up strong. This Three Cheese Sauce is so tasty and great way to get Calcium in!
- Suitable For Freezing
- 10 minutes
- 2 portions
Ingredients
15g butter
15g flour
150ml milk
30g gruyere cheese, grated
20g parmesan cheese, grated (if vegetarian, use an Italian hard cheese alternative)
3tbsp mascarpone
50g mini pasta shells
Method
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.
- Melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Gradually add the milk, stirring over a low heat for 5 to 6 minutes.
- Take off the heat, stir in the gruyere and parmesan until melted, then stir in the mascarpone.
- Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce.
Tomato & Butternut Squash Pasta
Fill up tiny tums with this delicious and creamy Tomato & Butternut Squash Pasta recipe.
- Suitable For Freezing
- 15 minutes
- 3 portions
Ingredients
100 g butternut squash, peeled & cut into cubes
25 g orzo or small pasta shells
10 g butter
3 medium tomatoes, skinned, deseeded & cut into pieces
4 fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
1 tbsp crème fraiche or cream
Method
- Steam the squash until tender.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
- Melt the butter and sauté the tomatoes for 3 minutes, then add the basil.
- Whiz the squash and stir in the crème fraiche or cream.
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