Sunday 9 January 2011

Pasta Recipes for Babies: The joy of cream cheese

My son is onto the “soft lumps” stage of weaning.  I know, sounds like the morning after the night before right?  Eew.  Anyway, the way I’ve found to get round this rather unpleasant description is with pasta.  He has been managing to eat farfalline (tiny bow pasta) amazingly well for about a month so I thought I’d share a couple of recipes with you.

The photos below are ones I've added many many months after I first posted these recipes so they are with grown up pasta but they work just as well with small or baby pasta shapes.





Spinach and cheese pasta - serves 1 baby or toddler

This came to me in bed while I was thinking about spinach and ricotta pasta for my husband and I but babies are better off having higher fat cheeses than ricotta.

1 small “block” of frozen spinach
A few gratings of nutmeg
1 tbsp full fat cream cheese
A few gratings of mature or extra mature cheddar (I don’t believe in mild)
A handful of pasta.

Cook the pasta in boiling water, although the pack I have for small pasta shapes says 3-4 minutes I find it takes 6 mins to cook despite doing it al dente.  For bigger pasta shapes for older children, adults or baby led weaners, check the packaging.  Cook the spinach in a microwave for about a minute then add the cream cheese, cheese and nutmeg, cook for a minute more, add water if needed until your sauce is boiling.

When the pasta is done, mix together and wait till it’s the right temperature for your baby.  Also tasty for adults.

Cheese and mushroom pasta




Made this yesterday and my husband kept “checking it was the right temperature” so I think it was popular with both of them.

2-3 mushrooms chopped up very small (think 3mm square, don’t worry it doesn’t take long)
A small amount of unsalted butter
1 tbsp full fat cream cheese
A few gratings of mature or extra mature cheddar
Clove of garlic peeled and kept whole

Put on the pasta.  Fry the mushrooms with the garlic until softened, discard the garlic (as it will have given a subtle flavour without being too much) then add the cream cheese, cheddar and some of the pasta water until it’s a bubbling sauce.

When the pasta's cooked, drain and mix with the sauce. Watch baby and husband take alternate spoonfuls!

2 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Unfortunately probably not. However, you can make both sauces in less time than it takes to cook the pasta so probably not worth it!

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