Yes, the name is made up! I was putting together a new dish for Cooper and it is basically a layer of pasta with fresh tomato sauce, a layer of mashed up broccoli & cauliflower and a layer of macaroni cheese with a sprinkling of seeds on top.
What the heck do you call something like that? I'm not going to bake it, so a bake is out and it isn't really a tower either. Time to make up a name I thought. So babapasta it is or pasta for baby.
Babapasta with Seeds for Baby
First you need a batch of fresh tomato sauce. Here is a nice simple recipe.
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Easy Tomato Sauce for Pasta
A simple tomato sauce that is a great starting point for many recipes. I haven't added any salt, so that the sauce is suitable for babies and toddlers, but do add some if you would like to.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
- 500g carton of passata
- 3 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tbsp sugar
- a handful of fresh basil, torn or chopped
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
1. Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until the onion is translucent.2. Add the passata and cook gently for a few minutes before adding the tomato puree and sugar.3. Cook gently for 20 minutes.4. Stir well, then add the basil and season.
Details
Total time: Yield: 1 batchCook 1 cup of baby shell pasta according to the packet instructions, drain and mix with some of the tomato sauce.
Cheese Sauce
Regretfully I didn't weigh up the ingredients for the cheese sauce. I have made this sauce since I was about 16, so I no longer weigh the ingredients, I just throw as much butter and flour in as I think I need and add the milk gradually as I stir.
I do have a recipe for macaroni cheese, so I will give you that, it is pretty much the recipe I always use. Just cook one cup of baby pasta and mix with some of this delicious sauce.
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Cheese Sauce
My standy cheese sauce recipe for macaroni cheese. Quick, easy and so, so tasty. Such a great comfort food.
Ingredients
- 500ml milk
- 25g butter
- 25g plain flour
- 100g mature cheddar, grated
- 50g parmesan, freshly grated
- 10 black peppercorns
- ½ onion
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
1. Heat the milk in a saucepan with the onion, peppercorns and bay leaf. Bring to the boil and then strain off the peppercorns and the bay leaf.2. In another saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Add a little milk at a time and whisk until mixture thickens, then add a little more milk and do the same until all the milk is used.Bring the sauce to the boil and then simmer gently for a couple of minutes, still whisking. Add the grated cheddar and Parmesan and stir until melted. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
Details
Total time: Yield: 1 batchVegetables
Steam half a head of broccoli and half a head of cauliflower until tender. Mash with unsalted butter and freshly ground black pepper.
Topping
sunflower seeds
pumpkins seeds
pine nuts
flax seeds
When all your elements are ready just layer them up. First the tomato pasta, then the vegetables, followed by the macaroni cheese and a sprinkling of seeds and nuts.
If you have a family allergy to nuts, then think carefully before adding them, also there is a chance of choking with a younger baby. The flax seeds are ok, but you may like to consider grinding the other seeds.
Makes 8-10 portions for 10 months old +
This looks like a delicious recipe -- I want to eat some myself! But I'd be hesitant about giving seeds and nuts to a baby! Kids can easily inhale/choke on seeds, and nut allergies are more likely if nuts are introduced before age 2.
ReplyDeleteYou can grind them for a younger baby, but my baby is 1 years old and good at chunky food and bits. I will take your advise though and add a note to the post. As to the allergies, I have read that there is more of a chance if you leave it too long to introduce them.
ReplyDeleteOh and I would never give him nuts unless they are ground or in a butter.
ReplyDeleteAdvice even!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds quite yummy! And an excellent way to "hide" vegetables for a pickier eater! Thanks for sharing! :-)
ReplyDeletethis looks delicious
ReplyDeletelittle one is cute
Somebody is starting to look a lot like Da!
ReplyDeleteThe nuts on the top sound tasty; most people aren't allergic to pumpkin seeds, so that's a good choice.
Going to have to find myself a Baba to test this recipe out on lol. Looks too good ;0)
ReplyDeleteHe's one lucky little man!!
ReplyDelete