First foods database

🍝 Pasta for babies: when and how to serve it

Can babies eat pasta? Yes, from about 6 months. Pasta is filling, cheap and easy to adapt from first tastes to family meals, and it is a simple way to introduce wheat, one of the common allergens.

From 6 monthsAllergen: GlutenLow choking risk when prepared well

Good source of: Carbohydrate, Fibre, B vitamins, Iron

How to serve pasta by age

6 to 9 months

Cook pasta a little longer than the packet says so it is very soft, then blend or chop it into a vegetable or lentil sauce for spoon feeding. For finger food, large shapes such as fusilli, penne or rigatoni are easiest to grip in a fist, especially coated in a thick sauce.

9 to 12 months

Move on to smaller shapes (macaroni, shells, orzo) for pincer practice, and chopped spaghetti. Thick sauces with hidden vegetables, lentils or flaked fish make it a complete meal.

12 months and up

Serve family pasta dishes, cut long spaghetti into shorter lengths if it is tricky.

Choking safety

Soft cooked pasta is low risk. Undercooked, firm pasta is harder to manage, so cook it soft for babies. Long strands of spaghetti can make some babies gag; cutting it shorter helps.

Gagging is common and noisy while babies learn to eat. Choking is usually silent. Always stay with your baby while they eat, sitting upright. How to help a choking baby (NHS).

Good to know

Introducing it as an allergen

It contains gluten, one of the 14 major allergens. How to introduce gluten

Easy ideas

Goes well with

🍅TomatoFrom 6 months🧀CheddarFrom 6 months · Milk🫘Red lentilsFrom 6 months🫛PeaFrom 6 months

Recipes with pasta

🍝Beef and red lentil baby bologneseFrom 6 months · Dinner · 50 min🥦Broccoli, cheddar and white bean pasta bakeFrom 9 months · Dinner · 45 min🍝Green lentil and mushroom bologneseFrom 7 months · Dinner · 55 min🦪Mussel and tomato linguine for toddlersFrom 12 months · Dinner · 30 min🍝Salmon and broccoli creamy pastaFrom 7 months · Lunch · 20 min🥫Sardine and tomato pasta sauceFrom 7 months · Lunch · 20 min

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Questions parents ask

Can babies eat pasta?

Can babies eat pasta? Yes, from about 6 months. Pasta is filling, cheap and easy to adapt from first tastes to family meals, and it is a simple way to introduce wheat, one of the common allergens.

What pasta shapes are best for babies?

Large shapes like fusilli and penne are easy for young babies to hold; small shapes suit pincer practice later.

Is wholewheat pasta better for babies?

It has more fibre, which is good, but can be filling. Mixing white and wholewheat works well.

Sources

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).