Pasta Recipes for Babies | 20+ Baby Led Weaning Pasta Ideas (2024)

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Coming up with new and exciting ideas for food to offer your baby can be difficult when you’ve been at baby led weaning for a while. Across the many baby led weaning Facebook groups I’m a member of, the post I most often see is, ‘PLEASE give me ideas of meals I can offer my baby!’ And that’s why I love baby led weaning pasta.

Pasta is such a versatile ingredient, you can make such a huge range of different meals with all sorts of tastes using vegetables, herbs and spices to give baby that flavour sensation. I’ve created this post of all of my favourite baby led weaning pasta recipes for babies ideas to help you discover some gorgeous recipes that are super simple to make and exciting to offer baby on this amazing baby led weaning journey you’re undertaking.

At the bottom of this post, you’ll find my fresh pasta recipe, which uses only two ingredients. Of course, as a busy Mum it’s much easier to buy fresh or dried pasta from the supermarket, but if you do have the time, you can’t beat a bit of fresh homemade baby led weaning pasta to create pasta recipes for babies!

Pasta Recipes for Babies | 20+ Baby Led Weaning Pasta Ideas (1)

What types of pasta are best for babies?

During my days of baby led weaning two babies, I think I’ve probably tried every common type of pasta including:

  • Spaghetti noodles
  • Tagliatelle
  • Fusilli
  • Penne
  • Ravioli
  • Lasagne
  • Macaroni
  • Tortellini
  • Farfalle

My favourites types of pasta are spaghetti, fusilli and tortellini as they’re all easy to get hold of in the supermarket, easy for baby to self feed and don’t need anything special doing to them to make them baby friendly.

Pasta Recipes for Babies

If you’re looking for a quick lunch or evening meal, boiling up some pasta and throwing it together with one of these baby led weaning pasta sauce recipes couldn’t be any simpler!

Parsley Pesto Recipe

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Image from – babyledfeeding.com

Parsley is extraordinarily rich in vitamins and minerals and makes an incredible pesto which can be served with any type of pasta, including courgetti, or even spread on toast!

Get the full recipe here

Beetroot Baby Led Weaning Pasta Recipe

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Image from – mummytodex.com

Shocking pink pasta sauce that not only looks good, but is packed full of healthy nutrients for baby too. The perfect pasta recipe for babies and families alike!

Get the full recipe here

Pepper Pasta Sauce Recipe

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Image from – mummytodex.com

Simple yet nutrient dense recipe using frozen peppers to create a healthy and quick pasta sauce for your baby. This was one of the first ever baby led weaning pasta recipes I created!

Get the full recipe here

Green Bean Pesto Recipe

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Image from – mummytodex.com

A green pesto created using green beans, pine nuts and Parmesan. A simple baby led weaning pasta recipe that pairs well with spaghetti or fusilli.

Get the full recipe here

Butternut Squash Creamy Baby Led Weaning Pasta

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Image from – babyledfeeding.com

A lovely creamy pasta suitable for babies and toddlers that uses butternut squash to add extra nutritional value to the meal. Delicious!

Get the full recipe here

Avocado and Spinach Pasta

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Image from – megsmealplanning.com

Another creamy pasta, this time using avocado (one of my favourite baby led weaning ingredients!) The whole family will adore this quick and easy to whip up dish!

Get the full recipe here

Tomato Pasta Sauce for Babies

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Image from – happyveggiekitchen.com

This iron rich and dairy free pasta recipe for babies is perfect if your baby suffers with a CMPA allergy and also has tons of hidden veggies to get those extra nutrients into your baby’s diet!

Get the full recipe here

Red Pesto Baby Led Weaning Pasta Recipe

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Image from – happyveggiekitchen.com

A perfect pasta dish for the whole family to share, using walnuts and red pepper to create a delicious red pesto. Yummy!

Get the full recipe here

Green Zucchini (Courgette) Pasta Sauce for Babies

Video from – thechiappas.com

An authentic pasta recipe for babies and the whole family using courgette, egg and cheese. This is sure to become a family favourite!

Get the full recipe here

Tomato & Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

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Image from – mykidslickthebowl.com

A fantastic pasta sauce that you can prep in advance, freeze and use whenever you need a quick and easy meal. We adore using pumpkin in loads of our dishes including pumpkin waffles for babies and pumpkin muffins for babies, so this is definitely one of our favourite baby led weaning pasta recipes!

Get the full recipe here

Pea Pesto for Babies

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Image from – bbcgoodfood.com

Another yummy pesto dish, this time using peas! This recipe can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days so will be great for quick lunches after using it for a family meal one evening.

Get the full recipe here

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Baby Led Weaning Vegan Recipes

Lasagne Recipes for Babies

Lasagne is the perfect meal to share as a family and is the ultimate winter warmer food. The following recipes incorporate lots of veggies, herbs and spices to make the experience of eating lasagne a real taste sensation.

Mexican Lasagne

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Image from – autumnsmummysblog.com

A yummy family recipe using mild ingredients to create a Mexican inspired lasagne! Red meat is a fantastic source of iron for the whole family and the mixed beans add extra protein too!

Get the full recipe here

Little Baby Lasagnes

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Image from – babyledfeeding.com

Tiny baby sized lasagnes that are the perfect finger food for little hands! This is one of those incredible recipes that you can make a huge batch of to keep your freezer stash topped up. This article also offers a dairy and egg free option too!

Get the full recipe here

Lentil Lasagne

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Image from – healthylittlefoodies.com

A meat free lasagne option using red lentils to pack plenty of punch! This is another recipe the whole family can enjoy and the leftovers can be saved for a lunch later in the week.

Get the full recipe here

The Ultimate Hidden Veggie Lasagne

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Image from – mykidslickthebowl.com

A lasagne made up of lots of hidden veg including cauliflower, mushrooms, onion, carrot, spinach and even lentils! This is another recipe the whole family can enjoy – totally guilt free!

Get the full recipe here

Meatballs for Babies Recipes

Meatballs are the perfect accompaniment to pasta and I’ve found are really easy to baby to hold and self feed too. You needn’t be limited to standard beef meatballs either. There are tons of recipes using lots of different meats and other ingredients meaning you can give baby a full range of different flavours and textures. These are some of our favourites:

Chicken, Asparagus and Zucchini Meatballs

Image from – buonapappa.com

A versatile chicken meatballs recipe that uses courgette as an additional ingredient which can easily be swapped out for other veggies. Absolutely delicious!

Get the full recipe here

Chicken and Sweet Potato Meatballs

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Image from – thenibecamemum.com

Sweet potato is one of my favourite baby led weaning ingredients – I just love the versatility of it. We’ve made sweet potato waffles for babies, sweet potato pancakes and even baby led weaning sweet potato burgers!

These chicken and sweet potato meatballs are a great accompaniment to pasta dishes for baby led weaning!

Get the full recipe here

Chicken and Carrot Meatballs

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Image from – babyfoode.com

Another veggie filled meatball which makes the perfect finger food for baby led weaning as they’re just so deliciously moist!

Get the full recipe here

Quinoa and Beef Meatballs

Image from – buonapappa.com

A delicious recipe using quinoa (check out this quinoa recipes for babies post while you’re here) and beef to create iron rich, protein heavy meatballs that the whole family can enjoy!

Get the full recipe here

Beet Balls

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Image from – veggiedesserts.co.uk

Yummy and delicious beet balls using lots of incredible ingredients that will give your baby tons of nutrition. Just be sure to leave out the salt!

Get the full recipe here

Turkey and Veggie Meatballs

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Image from – indulgewithbibi.com

These super juicy turkey and veggie meatballs for baby are delicious and packed with veggies. They contain all the nutrients a baby needs in a meal while they learn to self-feed!

Get the full recipe here

Baby Led Weaning Pasta Alternatives

If you’re looking for something different to the usual plain pasta (perhaps you’re gluten or egg free) then why not try one of these pasta alternatives which are super healthy and the perfect alternatives to traditional pasta.

Butternut Squash noodles

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Image from – feelgoodfoodie.net

Use butternut squash to create luscious noodles that the whole family will love. Once you make them, you can boil, sauté or oven-roast them for delicious low-carb noodles.

Get the full recipe here

Zucchini noodles (Zoodles)

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Image from – downshiftology.com

Instead of pasta, try spiralizing courgette to make gorgeous zoodles that your baby will love. Check out this recipe to find out the exact process.

Of course you’ll need a spiralizer. You can find one here for less than a tenner.

Get the full recipe here

Eggplant lasagne

Pasta Recipes for Babies | 20+ Baby Led Weaning Pasta Ideas (29)

Image from – mjandhungryman.com

A delicious recipe creating lasagne using aubergine, inspired by the creator’s ten month old baby. This is a lovely vegetarian meal that the whole family can enjoy!

Get the full recipe here

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Hopefully this post has given you some ideas on how to make a simple meal of pasta for babies a little bit more exciting. Whether it’s incorporating a veggie sauce, serving alongside a yummy meatball or creating a dish using an alternative pasta like zoodles or eggplant lasagne, pasta needn’t be a boring dish for your baby and the options are practically endless!

If you enjoyed this pasta recipes for babies post, it would be amazing if you could pin the image below so others can find it too 🙂

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Pasta Recipes for Babies | 20+ Baby Led Weaning Pasta Ideas (2024)

FAQs

What pasta is good for baby led weaning? ›

Serve thicker, larger types of pasta that are easier for babies to grasp, such as rigatoni, penne, fusilli, and farfalle. Pasta shapes with texture, like shells are often a little easier for babies to pick up and grip for self-feeding.

What pasta is good for 6 month old? ›

The best pasta shapes to start with, from approximately 6-8 months, include larger round or flat noodles like… These shapes, specifically rotini, rigatoni, and penne, will be easiest for baby to hold with their palmar grasp and bring the food to their mouth to self-feed.

Can I give my 6 month old cooked pasta? ›

Pasta may be introduced as soon as a baby is ready to start solids, which is generally around 6 months of age. Take care when introducing pasta if you haven't already introduced egg or wheat into baby's diet yet, as pasta often contains both egg and wheat, which are common food allergens.

What kind of pasta for 9 month old? ›

If you're spoon-feeding or encouraging your baby to use a spoon, small pasta like orzo, mini stars, or chopped angel hair/spaghetti will work well. Once they develop their pincer grasp (usually around 9-10 months), you can serve smaller shapes, like macaroni, orzo, orecchiette, or cut up large pasta.

Can 6 month old eat penne pasta? ›

From six months old, you can serve plain, cooked, soft pasta to your baby as finger food that they'll be able to pick up and eat themselves. They'll enjoy grabbing bits of food and feeding themselves – and it's a great way for them to practise holding and chewing, as well as developing hand-eye coordination.

Can 6 month old have macaroni pasta? ›

Parents can start introducing pasta during a baby's fifth or sixth month. Choose small noodles like spirals or macaroni, and make sure they're well-cooked.

How do I give my 7 month old pasta? ›

If you're doing a Baby Led Weaning approach, you can chop regular pasta into tiny pieces (scissors make light work of this task), or buy special baby pasta shapes from the supermarket. Full-sized pasta shapes also make great finger food, either plain or with a sauce.

Can 6 month old have spaghetti sauce? ›

👶 Yes, babies can enjoy spaghetti sauce, but with considerations. 🍝 Introduce it after 6 months, ensuring they've started solids. 🍅 Opt for mild, homemade sauces with minimal salt and spices. 🌾 Monitor for any allergic reactions.

Can babies eat pasta without teeth? ›

Start with menu items like pieces of soft cheese; small pieces of pasta or bread; finely chopped soft vegetables; and fruits like bananas, avocado, and ripe peaches or nectarines. These foods should require minimal chewing, as your baby may not yet have teeth.

What are the first finger foods for babies? ›

Read on for plenty of tasty-yet-safe finger food suggestions.
  • Bread or crackers. Even babies who can't pick things up with their fingers can hold a biscuit or a piece of lightly toasted bread in their hands and suck on it until it dissolves into a gooey mess. ...
  • Oat circle cereal. ...
  • Cheese. ...
  • Fruit. ...
  • Veggies. ...
  • Fish. ...
  • Meatballs. ...
  • Tofu.
Nov 15, 2022

What is the first food for a baby? ›

Most babies' first food is iron-fortified infant single-grain cereal mixed with breast milk or formula. Place the spoon near your baby's lips, and let the baby smell and taste it. Don't be surprised if this first spoonful is rejected.

What is the best finger food for babies? ›

Good finger foods for babies include soft, easy-to-swallow foods like steamed veggies; soft fruits; whole-grain bread, pasta, or cereal; crackers; chicken; cheese; and scrambled eggs.

How do I give my baby pasta for the first time? ›

You can cut pasta into smaller pieces or offer smaller shapes to help them practice - but offering big pieces like rigatoni is still 🤙 For toddlers, you can start experimenting with other shapes and things like spaghetti and rice noodles.

How do I introduce pasta to my 9 month old? ›

Baby Feeding Tips

Serve pasta with a little bit of olive oil, ghee, or sauce to make it easier to mash for beginning eaters. Use kitchen shears to cut noodles into smaller bite-sized pieces as needed.

Is orzo safe for babies? ›

At 6 months of age you can offer tiny pasta shapes like stellette pasta or orzo pasta which are not considered choking hazards. I recommend fusilli pasta when serving it to your baby as a finger food because it is a good size for your baby to have in their fist and holds a sauce well.

Is pasta or rice better for babies? ›

Both pasta and rice can be part of a healthy diet for kids. Pasta, especially whole wheat pasta, is a good source of complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and some protein. It is often enriched with B vitamins and iron.

Is whole grain pasta better for babies? ›

It's good for your child to try different kinds of starchy foods, but do not give only wholegrain or high-fibre foods before your child is 5 years old.

Can my baby eat pasta with no teeth? ›

Start with menu items like pieces of soft cheese; small pieces of pasta or bread; finely chopped soft vegetables; and fruits like bananas, avocado, and ripe peaches or nectarines. These foods should require minimal chewing, as your baby may not yet have teeth.

Is brown rice pasta safe for babies? ›

You can give your child wholegrain foods, such as wholemeal bread, pasta and brown rice. But it's not a good idea to only give wholegrain starchy foods to under-2s. Wholegrain foods can be high in fibre and they may fill your child up before they have taken in the calories and nutrients they need.

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