Baby and toddler recipes
🥦 Broccoli, cheddar and white bean pasta bake
A comforting pasta bake with broccoli and cannellini beans blended into the cheese sauce. A clever way to add plant iron and protein, with broccoli bringing vitamin C.
Makes 6 baby portions plus 2 adult portions
Ingredients
- 250g Pasta (penne or fusilli)
- 1 head Broccoli (cut into small florets)
- 1 x 400g tin Cannellini beans (no added salt, drained and rinsed)
- 300ml Cow's milk (whole)
- 80g Cheddar (grated, pasteurised)
- 20g Butter (unsalted)
- 20g plain flour
- 1 clove Garlic (crushed)
- a pinch Nutmeg
Method
- Heat the oven to 190C (170C fan).
- Cook the pasta until soft, adding the broccoli for the last 4 minutes. Drain.
- Melt the butter, add the garlic and flour and stir for a minute, then whisk in the milk until thick and smooth.
- Blend the sauce with the cannellini beans, half the cheese and the nutmeg until creamy.
- Mix the sauce with the pasta and broccoli, tip into a dish and top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until bubbling and golden. Cool before serving.
Serving it to your baby
At 9 months offer pasta shapes and broccoli florets coated in sauce as finger food, with the floret stalk as a handle. For younger babies, chop finely and serve on a spoon. From 12 months serve as the family has it.
For the rest of the family
Add black pepper, a little salt and a scattering of breadcrumbs to the adult portion before baking.
Storing and reheating
Cool quickly (within an hour), then keep covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Freeze in small portions for up to 3 months and defrost overnight in the fridge. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through, stir, then let it cool before serving. Never reheat more than once. Freeze in portions; reheat covered in the oven until piping hot.
Weaning with OBubba
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Questions parents ask
Can I hide beans in a cheese sauce?
Yes. Blended cannellini beans make the sauce creamier and add iron, protein and fibre without changing the flavour much.
Is cheddar too salty for babies?
Cheddar contains some salt, so use moderate amounts as in this recipe and avoid adding any other salt.
OBubba gives general information based on UK guidance. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose anything. Every baby is different. If your baby has a known allergy, severe eczema or a medical condition, speak to your doctor or health visitor before starting solids. Learn baby first aid, and in an emergency call your local emergency number (999 in the UK).