Homemade Baby Food: Pasta with Summer Vegetables
AJ started solids almost three months ago and I am really enjoying watching her exploration of food. When Immy was a baby I followed a pretty standard order of food introduction as advised by my Child Health Nurse and many of the baby books but with AJ I have been much more careful about introducing new foods (and I am delaying introducing some foods) as we believe that she may have a small number of food intolerances.
Although she will quite often eat a baby-friendly version of the foods we are enjoying for a meal (in a similar approach to the one Kate described here), there are still occasions where I will cook up a specific dish just for her, either as the meal we are eating is not suitable for her palate or because I am cooking up a batch to freeze in portions for when we will be out and about over mealtimes. This pasta with summer vegetables is packed full of veggies (the peas give it a lovely sweetness) and is super quick and easy to make.
Pasta with Summer Vegetables
You will need:
- 1 medium potato
- 1 piece of zucchini (courgette), roughly the same size as the potato
- 1/3 capsicum (I use yellow capsicum)
- Dash of extra virgin olive oil or water
- 1/4 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 cup cooked pasta, I used gluten and wheat free rice pasta
This makes 4-6 serves, depending upon the appetite of your baby.
To make:
1. Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to packet directions.
2. Grate the potato, zucchini and capsicum. The KitchenAid Artisan Food Processor made short work of the grating but I have successfully used a hand grater for this recipe as well.
3. Heat frypan over a medium heat and add a dash of oil or water. Add potato, zucchini, capsicum and peas to the pan and saute until soft.
4. Drain pasta. Transfer all ingredients to food processor or jug suitable for use with a hand mixer and blend until it reaches a consistency palatable to your baby (at nine months of age, AJ can tolerate reasonably-sized soft lumps).
5. Cool and serve. I find AJ will happily eat this dish cold or warmed.
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A KitchenAid Artisan Food Processor was loaned to me for editorial consideration. Read more in my disclosure statement.