The Best Way to Cook Pasta for Babies

Your little one will love eating — and playing with — pasta noodles.
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Pasta is an enjoyable finger food for babies. Wiggly strands of spaghetti keep the baby's attention for longer periods because they can play with the strands as well as eat them, while larger pasta pieces like rotini give then an unusual texture to experience.

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To prepare pasta for your baby, you must cook it until it's soft and cut it into small enough pieces for a tiny mouth to handle. For maximum safety, wait until your child is at least 9 months old to ensure he is ready for finger foods.

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Warning

Although pasta is safe for most babies after 9 months, do not serve wheat-based pasta to a baby younger than one year if you have a family history of wheat allergies or gluten intolerance. Wait until the child is old enough or serve a rice-based pasta instead.

Things You'll Need

  • Pasta

  • Pot

  • Water

  • Colander

Instructions

  1. Bring a small pot of cold water to a boil. Don't add salt to the water even if you typically salt your pasta water.
  2. Add no more than 4 ounces of pasta per quart of water to the pot. If you add too much pasta, it will stick together, and you may end up with undercooked sections.
  3. Boil the pasta for the amount of time specified by the package, then remove a piece to test for tenderness. If you can easily mash the pasta to a paste between your tongue and the roof of your mouth, it's tender enough for your baby to gum. If not, continue to boil the remaining pasta, checking for tenderness every few minutes.
  4. Drain the pasta and allow it to cool.
  5. Break or cut it into bite-sized pieces with your fingers or a knife before serving it to your baby.

Tip

To make the pasta more flavorful for an older baby, toss it in a small amount of olive oil with a pinch of oregano or basil.

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