Now that Ian is six months old I am excited to start feeding him whole foods. Unlike with my older two, I’ve decided to skip the jarred food and go straight for table food (baby-led weaning). I can’t wait to watch him explore this whole new world of foods and grow into a little foodie. That’s the plan, at least!
I’ve been researching and reading up on the best practices to get started. Most have suggested “sticks” of veggies that have a “handle” for little hands, like broccoli, though James isn’t too sure about starting him on the “most hated” vegetable of all time. (Even when he actually likes broccoli himself.) I am excited to pick up some local, seasonal produce for Ian to try since our much-neglected backyard garden probably won’t be yielding much this year.
This pasta primavera is a really simple recipe that you can easily switch up with whatever seasonal spring or summer produce you have on hand. I went with zucchini and tomatoes because that is what I had sitting on my counter, but you could also throw in carrots, yellow squash, onion, or bell pepper.
I made this dish using linguine, but you could sub in your favorite noodle; farfalle would be another good option. This would be a great dish to serve for little ones learning to explore food; just cut the zucchini into “sticks” and don’t let them soften too much, just before the al dente stage (and no salt).
Ingredients
- 6 oz Linguine pasta
- 1 small zucchini cut into moons
- 1 roma tomato diced
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Cook the pasta as directed on the package. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking liquid when draining.
- Season the zucchini with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and zucchini to the pan; cook until just soft, enough to remove the "bite".
- Add the zucchini, tomatoes, red pepper flakes, pasta water, and butter to the cooked pasta.
- Top with Parmesan, toss well to combine, and season with salt and pepper.
Isabella Grace
Tuesday 4th of July 2017
Yum!