Serve up a filling, yummy baby meal with this easy Baby Pasta. It includes tomatoes, extra veggies, and beans for an iron-rich meal perfect for lunch or dinner.
When my oldest was a baby, there was a period that I remember so well when she was hungry. And while she was still learning to eat, I found that an easy pasta recipe with a hearty veggie-based sauce was a simple way to help her fill up before bedtime.
This Baby Pasta recipe is one that I served to all of my kids as babies and as an easy one-year-old recipe—and it has stayed in rotation since then.
It’s easy to adjust for a baby who eats from a spoon, or for a baby eating early finger foods using their pincer grasp.
This can be served as an easy toddler lunch or toddler dinner—and can be made ahead and warmed up to serve. So many options to fit your lifestyle and preferences!
Why this Recipe Works
This sauce is easy to make, it’s nutrient-dense, and it is an iron-rich food for kids even though it’s vegetarian. Plus: The sauce freezes well, so you can have a stash of future baby meals ready and waiting!
(You may also like my Baby Snacks, Pastina Soup, Vegetable Sauces for Pasta, and Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese for this age, too.)
Table of Contents
Ingredients You Need
To make this Baby Pasta recipe, you’ll need just a few ingredients on hand and ready to go.
- Pasta: I prefer a smaller shape such as stars, pastina, ABC pasta, or ditalini as they are often easier for baby to eat. You can use any variety of pasta you prefer including wheat, corn, rice, or lentil pasta.
- Crushed tomatoes with basil: This can be purchased in a can or a jar near other crushed tomatoes.
- White beans: Drain and rinse your canned beans for the best flavor and texture. I prefer to use tender cannellini beans.
- Vegetables: Sweet potato, butternut squash, carrot, or pumpkin puree all work here, though I usually use sweet potato because I prefer the flavor when mixed with tomato.
- Italian seasoning or other herbs: You can add flavor as you like for your kids.
- Olive oil: This adds beneficial fats to the recipe.
- Parmesan cheese: This is optional to serve if desired.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Gluten-free: Use a favorite gluten-free pasta.
- Dairy-free: Omit the Parmesan. Some people like to use nutritional yeast in place of Parmesan to add flavor.
- You can use marinara sauce in place of the crushed tomatoes with basil—this will have more flavor and older kids and parents may prefer it this way. It will have more sodium, but you can decide if in the mix of the rest of the food you make whether that is something to worry about. (I do not overly worry about sodium.)
- Sweet potato puree and butternut squash puree have a slightly sweet flavor, so they are a great option here. You can also use pumpkin puree.
Featured Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“This recipe is so easy and so delicious! Both of my big kiddos (ages 4 and 2) loved helping me make it and eat it.” —Beth
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at how to make this baby pasta recipe. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full information.
Step 1. Add the sauce ingredients to a blender. I like to do it first to avoid having to blend piping hot sauce.
Step 2. Blend the sauce very smooth in a blender.
Step 4. Warm the sauce in a pot, stirring often.
Step 4. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, then stir into sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Babies can start eating pasta soon after they start solids, which is usually around 6 months. Smaller shapes like stars and pastina are often easier for babies to eat, and they can progress to slightly larger shapes like ditalini and elbows as they get a little older.
You can cook the pasta until it’s soft and spoon feed it—I like the pasta to be in a flavorful sauce in this case–or you can offer pasta as a finger food from about 9+ months when babies typically are able to pick up and eat early finger foods.
Many people also serve pasta as a baby-led weaning food, though know that it can be slippery in baby’s mouth and large pieces of something like rotini or spaghetti may be very difficult/tricky for baby to eat.
You can offer any kind of pasta that you prefer, regular semolina pasta, whole wheat pasta, or a bean-based pasta like chickpea or lentil (which are both higher in iron). The shapes that are easiest for baby to eat are small ones that can be eaten off of a spoon or medium sized ones they can pick up and self feed. Long noodles may be more challenging to chew.
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How to Store and Reheat
Store Baby Pasta leftovers, either combined or separate, in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or you can freeze the sauce in an ice cube tray, transfer the frozen cubes to a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 6 months.
Best Tips for Success
- I like this to be pretty saucy for babies, especially if you’re serving it off of a spoon. If serving from a spoon, use a very small shape like star pasta or pastina.
- If planning to serve this as a finger food, use a small shape that’s easy to pick up such as ditalini, mini shells, mini farfalle, or elbows. (If you use a larger shape, cut it with kitchen scissors so it’s in small pieces that are easy for baby to chew.)
- You can use fully cooked lentils in place of the white beans if desired.
- You can skip the blending and serve this sauce chunky to save a step.
- To serve this to an older child or an adult, season to taste with salt.
- Top with grated Parmesan for additional flavor. Or pair with Pesto Meatballs, Homemade Chicken Nuggets, or Baby Meatballs.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe if you try it, so please comment and rate it below!
Extra-Veggie Baby Pasta (with Iron)
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta (such as star, ABC, pastina, or ditalini)
- 14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes with basil (or marinara sauce)
- 1 cup white beans (rinsed and drained)
- 1/2 cup mashed sweet potato puree (or butternut squash puree or pumpkin puree)
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt, onion powder, garlic powder (optional to taste)
- grated Parmesan (optional to taste)
Instructions
- Add the tomatoes, beans, puree, and Italian seasoning to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Add the olive oil to a medium pot over medium heat. Stir in the tomato mixture and warm through, stirring occasionally, for about 5-10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and additional spices for more flavor as you like.
- (You can also warm a small amount of sauce in a heat-safe bowl in the microwave If you're making just one serving.)
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain.
- Return the pasta to the pot. Stir as little or as much of the sauce into the pasta and top with grated Parmesan if desired. (You may have some sauce leftover.)
- Serve warm or portion into storage containers to serve throughout the week.
Video
Notes
- Store leftovers, either combined or separate, in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or you can freeze the sauce in an ice cube tray, transfer the frozen cubes to a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 6 months.
- You can use homemade mashed sweet potato, butternut squash puree, pumpkin puree, or purchased purees. I prefer to use sweet potato best.
- I like this to be pretty saucy for babies, especially if you’re serving it off of a spoon. But you can add just as much sauce as you like and save the rest for a future meal.
- If serving from a spoon, use a very small pasta shape like stars or pastina.
- If planning to serve this as a finger food, use a small shape that’s easy to pick up such as ditalini, mini shells, mini farfalle or elbows. (If you use a larger shape, cut it with kitchen scissors so it’s in small pieces that are easy for baby to chew.)
- Add extra iron with a side of my Chicken Meatballs, Chicken Tenders, or Fav Toddler Meatballs.
- You can use fully cooked lentils in place of the white beans if desired.
- You can skip the blending and serve this sauce chunky to save a step.
- To serve this to an older child or an adult, season to taste with salt.
- Top with grated Parmesan for additional flavor.
- Gluten-free: Use your favorite gluten-free pasta.
- Dairy-free: Skip the Parmesan. Some people like to use nutritional yeast in place of grated Parmesan.
Nutrition
This post was first published October 2021.
I watch my grandson Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday. I purée his food and put it in the freezer. I made this and put them into Infantino Disposable Squeeze Pouches. In essence I have a military version of an MRE. I defrost it in a bowl of hot watch. In 10 minutes the sauce is warm and tea for the pasta.
What would you consider a single serving size to be? My 2 year old was just diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes so we need to count his carbs at every meal and snack. I see the nutrition facts at the end of the recipe, but I just need to know the portion size that coincides with those facts. Thanks so much!
Hi- It’s the full recipe made, then divided into six portions to get the nutrition facts listed at the end of the recipe. I hope that helps!