How to Serve Pasta to Baby (recipes, tips & more!) | Baby Foode (2024)

Pasta is a great way to offer energizing carbohydrates for your baby’s development. We’ll review the health benefits, the best types of pasta for your baby, FAQs, feeding tips, and so much more! Great for baby-led weaning, the finger food stage, and stage three baby food purees! 6+ months and up.

Medically reviewed and co-written byJamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

Pasta Baby Food

Let’s face it – there’s nothing cuter than seeing a smiley, squishy baby covered from head to toe in pasta noodles and sauce (your kitchen floor, on the other hand….not so cute, but it’s washable. Maybe you should just get a dog now. Or borrow the neighbor’s dog?). Pasta is a perfect first food for your baby, and not just because of its yummy comfort food quality, although that’s a bonus.

Pasta can be a great source of iron, fiber, folate, protein, and B vitamins. It also makes for a soft finger food that is just as easy for your baby to self-feed as it is for parents to cook up in the kitchen. And when paired with protein, high-quality fat, and veggies, it makes for a well-rounded meal that will satisfy your baby AND your whole family.

First time making homemade baby food?Then, I would suggest that you start by reading my very in-depthGuide on how to Make Homemade Baby Food– which goes over all the important information such as thebestcooking tools to have on hand,safestorage,how to knowwhen babyis ready for solids,how tointroduce purees,the best first foods for baby,and more! If you are doingBaby-Led Weaning, then be sure to check out myComplete Guide to Baby-Led Weaning– which coverswhat exactly is baby-led weaning, to every parent’s concern ofbaby-led weaning and choking, this guide goes over it all. I will also sharehow to knowwhen babyis ready for BLW, thetop 10 best first foods, a helpfulsample blw feeding schedule, helpfultools to have on hand, and much much more!

Want more information?Then make sure to check out my best-sellingcookbookLittle Foodies: Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste.

Reasons to Love Pasta for Baby

• Great for baby-led weaning or the finger food stage
• Good in a Stage 3 Baby Puree
• Provides an easily customizable base for a meal that’s family-friendly
• Great source of carbohydrates that provide energy
• Readily available and budget friendly
• Many options – including whole grain, bean-based, or gluten-free
• Perfect for pairing with a protein, veggie, and high-quality fats to make a balanced meal

Benefits of Pasta for Baby

Pasta can be a great food for your baby, for both developing oral motor skills and nourishing their bodies.

• full of carbohydrates to provide energy
• whole grain or bean-based pasta provides fiber, which helps keep their digestive systems regular
• depending on the shape, pasta can help develop pincer and palmar grasps
• a soft consistency, making it easy for your baby to chew
• there are many types of pasta that expose your baby to different tastes and textures
• can be paired with many sauces to keep meals new and exciting
• bean pastas are a good source of protein
• can be a good source of iron, which is very important for babies 6 months and up to get from their diet

Best Types of Pasta for Baby

There are so many different types of pasta on the market these days made from grains, beans, eggs, rice, and other ingredients, and they all offer different nutrients. There’s not one best pasta for your baby so try mixing it up to get a variety of textures, flavors, and nutrients. Here are some highlights of different types of pastas:

• lentil pasta: high in fiber, iron, protein, gluten-free
• black bean pasta: high in fiber, iron, protein, gluten-free
• chickpea pasta: high in fiber, iron, protein, gluten-free
• whole wheat: higher in fiber, manganese, and selenium, not gluten-free
• white flour: low fiber, higher in B vitamins and iron, not gluten-free
• egg noodles: low fiber, higher in B vitamins, iron, and manganese, not gluten-free
• rice noodles: low fiber, protein and iron, gluten-free
• edamame and mung bean pasta: high in fiber, iron, protein, potassium, gluten-free

Best Shapes of Pasta for Baby

Generally, the younger the baby, the bigger the pasta shape should be to help minimize choking and to meet their grasping skills.

• 6+ months: conchiglioni, farfalle, rigatoni, penne, ziti, lasagna noodle strips, chopped longer noodles like spaghetti, fettuccine, linguine, or capellini
• 9+ months: macaroni, cut ravioli, conchigliette, plus noodles offered at 6 months
• 12+ months: spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, ramen, rice noodles, plus noodles offered at 6 and 9 months

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Add in pasta and cook 1-2 past the ‘al-dente’ time on the box.
3. Drain and add back to the pot.
4. Add in butter, oil, pesto or other sauce of choice.
5. Spoon into a bowl or onto the highchair tray and sprinkle with a pinch of cheese.

Frequently Asked Questions

Pasta for Baby-Led Weaning

Pasta is a great food for your baby to self-feed, whether for baby-led weaning, which happens around 6 months of age, or during the finger foods stage after traditional weaning at 8-9 months.

6+ Months – Bigger Shapes: rigatoni, rotini, ziti, farfalle, lasagna noodle strips, etc. At this age, offering larger pieces of wide, flat, or tubular-shaped pasta will help your baby grasp the pasta better.

9+ Months – Smaller Shapes: elbow, ravioli, penne, rotini, bow tie, cut noodles, etc. At this age, your baby will develop a pincer grasp, where they can pick up smaller pieces of food using their thumb and index finger. You can also continue to serve larger, wider pieces of pasta if your baby is more successful with this size and shape.

12-18+ Months – Noodles: spaghetti, rice noodles, udon, ramen, etc. At this age, your toddler might be more willing to accept a pre-loaded fork with pasta on it, but it’s totally fine if they still prefer using their fingers. Continue to offer a variety ofnoodleshapes and textures.

Pasta for Traditional Weaning

If you started out feeding your baby using traditional weaning (aka spoon feeding), your baby will typically be ready to start trying pasta anywhere between 7-9 months (although always keep in mind that each baby is different, and your baby’s developmental progress and skills may look slightly different).

How you offer pasta at this point really depends on the individual baby. You can offer small, soft pieces of pasta and a pureed sauce together, either on a pre-loaded spoon or for your baby to self-feed with their hands. Or your baby might be ready at this point to try self-feeding bigger, wider pieces of tubular pastas, such as rigatoni, rotini, ziti, farfalle, or lasagna noodle strips.

Favorite Pasta Recipes