So much has changed in our lives since our son was born last August. Sleep? Well, I’m not sure I will ever know uninterrupted sleep again. And cooking and baking — certainly for the first six months of his life we were in survival mode. Lots of crackers, hummus, rotisserie chicken and plenty of times I was so tired I wasn’t even sure if I had eaten.
Once we got the go-ahead from our pediatrician, we were free to start solids. There are many ways to introduce solids to kids. We knew that we wanted him to eventually eat what and how we do — the Italian way. I started asking questions to my mother and to my mother-in-law, who lives in Florence. What they both said was to introduce different foods as we eat them, just pureed or blended together, and, at first, slightly less seasoned so he can really taste the food. They mentioned it was also important not to start with sweet foods.
As a child, my favorite food was pastina with spinach and ricotta. To start, we knew that we would be using Mellin Semonlino — at least until our little man got some teeth. While this can be difficult to find and somewhat expensive, we find it worth it. You mix it with a little warm both, add your vegetable or meat and there you have it — le prime pappe.
Since spinach can be slightly acidic, we started with zucchini, which I steam and pureed and mix with the semolino, a pinch of pecorino, and olive oil. It is still his favorite meal. When he eats this we eat Pasta with Roasted Zucchini and Ricotta.
Next we introduced semolina with pureed spinach, while we have Ditalini with Spinach. In this dish, which can also be made with pastina, I cook my pasta al dente and finish it in spinach puree. As he started getting actual teeth, I started making Spezzatino, or a very simple beef and vegetable stew. In this dish, you can use what you have on hand and really make it your own. It’s the perfect dish to make when you have a few hours for it to cook low and slow. Served with some wonderful Italian bread, the heel of which you naturally give the baby to chew on. He loves it.
Finally, along with those teeth came Plasmon, or Italian teething biscuits. He enjoys these and so do I, since they aren’t very sweet. And when you are that tired, pair them with some pastry cream or whipped cream and strawberries for a very grown up-dessert.
Pasta with Roasted Zucchini & Ricotta with Zucchini Puree (for baby)
2
servings10
minutes40
minutesMake one zucchini base for your baby, then turn the rest into a delicious pasta dinner for the adults.
Ingredients
3-4 3-4 organic zucchini, cut into rounds
1 cup 1 ricotta impastata (or ricotta of your choice)
1/2 cup 1/2 grated pecorino romano
salt and pepper
a few fresh basil leaves
olive oil
1 lb. 1 rigatoni
- Zuchini puree for babies
2 2 organic zucchini, cubed
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut zucchini into rounds.
- Season zucchini with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Roast zucchini 30-40 mins, until golden.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Make rigatoni.
- Save a few spoons of pasta water.
- Mix cooked pasta with ricotta and pecorino, adding just enough water to make a creamy sauce.
- Add zucchini and top with fresh basil.
- Zucchini puree for babies
- Steam with a drop of salt and puree.
- Add to semolino, pastina or serve alone with a drop of olive oil.
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Too tired to make dessert? Try pastry cream or whipped cream and strawberries with teething biscuits for a delicious treat.
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