Pasta for Babies – When to Introduce and Quick Recipes

It comes as a surprise that pasta is a great food type to introduce babies into solid food. It is healthy and nutritious. Pasta is a whole grain food product and hence can be combined with other healthy ingredients to make a wholesome meal for your baby.

When and How to Introduce Pasta to Infants?

Pasta is best introduced during the solid food period, that is after the initial introduction of purees. This usually is post 7 months. Pasta which is usually eaten al-dente is NOT how it is introduced to the babies. When cooking pasta for babies, remember that the pasta should be fully cooked and preferably in a sauce so that it can be mashed if required. Kinds of pasta such as stars, bows or elbow shaped make it fun for the babies.

Nutritional Contents in Pasta

Pasta is high in flavour and taste but not on calories. It is not heavy on the stomach, and hence it makes a good meal for babies.

How to Select and Store Pasta

It is essential to know your pasta. If pasta is not a staple food at home or is not consumed as staple food around the region that you stay then be careful of what you buy.

• Make sure the kinds of pasta you pick are not instant, processed or made from all-purpose flour (Maida).
• The kinds of pasta given to babies need to be made of whole wheat, durum wheat or rice flour pasta.
• IT is best to purchase organic pasta or make them at home.

Easy Pasta Recipes for Babies

Below are some recipes on how to make pasta for baby

1. Pasta and Avocado

The recipe is dense with vitamins and minerals. The taste is fresh and savoury.

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat pasta – 1 cup
• Avocado – 1 cup
• Garlic Cloves – 2 large
• Pepper Corns – 0.5 Tsp
• Lemon Juice – 2 Tsp
• Oil – 2 Tsp
• Salt

Method:

• Sauté the garlic and peppercorns in a tsp of oil and add it to a blender along with Avocado, lemon juice. Grind it to a paste.
• Strain the excess water from the cooked pasta and toss it in a pan with the tsp oil.
• Add the avocado paste after a minute and mix it thoroughly.

2. Tomato Pasta Stars with Mozzarella and Basil

Build baby bones with Mozzarella! And the stars are just the beginning of the fun.

Ingredients:

• Pasta- 1 cup
• Mozzarella- 0.5 cup grated
• Carrot- 1 chopped
• Potato-1 chopped
• Tomatoes- 2 large chopped finely
• Garlic- 1 clove
• Oil- 1 Tsp
• Basil – a pinch, dried
• Black pepper powder – a pinch
• Water

Method:

• Cook the pasta as per the instructions.
• Drain the pasta and set it aside.
• Sauté carrot, potato and garlic in oil in a pan; for a minute.
• Add tomato, basil, black pepper powder and water. Let it boil.
• Add the pasta to the cheese along with the cheese and stir it till all flavours mix completely. Mash it and serve at room temperature.

3. Cheesy Carrot Pasta

A carrot a day keeps bad vision away! This has vitamins, calcium and carbs.

Ingredients:

• Pasta- 1 cup
• Carrots – ½ cup pureed
• grated cheese

Method:

1. Cook the pasta according to instructions
2. Sauté the carrot puree on a pan add the pasta
3. Garnish with cheese

4. Pasta Chicken Stew

The quickest chicken and pasta dish with enough flavour for baby to relish.

Ingredients:

• chicken broth (homemade) -2cups
• pasta – 0.5 cups chicken breast – 0.5 cups cubed
• frozen peas – ¼ cup
• onion –3 tbsp. chopped
• cheese

Method:

1. Boil chicken broth in a pan
2. Add pasta, chicken, onion and peas
3. Simmer on low flame until the chicken is cooked and all the flavour has come together.
4. Mash the food and garnish with cheese

5. Cheesy Pasta

A simple, classic way of serving pasta.

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat pasta – 1 cup
• unsalted butter – 1 Tsp
• Cheese – 0.5 cup
• Tomatoes – 4-5 tbsp. pureed or chopped fine
• Mixed herbs – as needed
• Garlic powder – a pinch
• Salt

Method:

1. Cook the pasta, Drain and set aside.
2. sauté tomatoes puree in a pan with butter
3. add the garlic powder after a minute, then add the herbs
4. once the aroma of the cooked tomatoes rises, add the pasta and mix well.
5. add the cheese and switch off the flame once it melts.

A Few Things to Remember:

• Check for wheat allergy in your baby before you feed them pasta
• Always seek advice from the doctor before introducing this as the new food.
• It’s a new flavour and makes sure you repeat the same recipe a few times on schedule for the baby to be familiar with the taste
• Check the package for the main ingredients before you buy.

Pasta like any other product of whole grains is good for health if purchased with caution. With these five variants of flavours, your baby will surely love the new food and crave for more.