Don’t you just love it when you make your toddler a healthy meal and she asks you for more? This is one of those recipes. Your toddler will be asking for more of this quick and easy plant-based creamy veggie pasta.  It’s so good, you might want to make it for the whole family.

What’s so special about this toddler recipe?

• It takes only 10 minutes to make

• It’s toddler tested and approved

• It’s rich in the nutrients and calories that active, growing toddlers need.

• Good source of: iron, B12, calcium, potassium, healthy fats, protein, fiber, complex carbs

• It’s flexible and versatile. You don’t have to use the veggies or pasta in the recipe. Use whatever veggies you have on hand. You can make the pasta fresh, or use leftovers. Any kind of pasta will work--just follow package directions. I  used thin spaghetti because the cooking time is short. 

• It’s toddler-friendly but the whole family will love it. Double the batch

Plant-Based Creamy Veggie Pasta

Ingredients

☑️ Dry thin spaghetti, enough to make 2 cups of cooked spaghetti. See below

How to measure dry pasta

Two ounces of any dry long pasta, such as spaghetti, is equal to 1 cup of cooked pasta. Since those long noodles can be hard to weigh or measure, the easiest way to cook this amount is to gather the dry pasta in your hand so that the bunch has roughly the diameter of a quarter. thekitchn.com

☑️ 1 cup broccoli chopped into toddler-friendly bite sizes

☑️ 1/2  cup shredded carrots (Tip: buy them in the bag already shredded)

☑️ 1/2 cup frozen peas 

☑️ 3/4 cup unsweetened plant-based milk

☑️ 3 tablespoons plant-based butter--I like Smart Balance

☑️ 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

☑️ 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Instructions

Step 1

In a large saucepan, cook pasta according to package directions. Five minutes before the pasta is done, add the broccoli, carrots and frozen peas and continue to boil for 5 more minutes or until pasta and veggies are tender.

Step 2 

Pour cooked pasta with veggies into a colander and drain. Then pour pasta and veggies back into the saucepan.

Step 3

With burner on medium-low heat, add plant-milk, onion powder, nutritional yeast, and vegan butter to pasta & veggies. Mix well and let simmer for 2-3 minutes until sauce is a little creamy (stir occasionally to prevent burning).

Makes enough for approximately 4 toddler servings.

Good source of: iron, B12, calcium, potassium, healthy fats, protein, fiber, complex carbs

Related: Vegan Nutrition for Children? A COMPLETE Guide

Note

If you prefer more sauce, add extra, butter, nutritional yeast and plant milk.

This recipe is very flexible--you can substitute any veggies you want— use what's in your fridge😊 Use any pasta you (or your toddler) prefers.

This recipe is almost fail-proof. I usually don’t even measure the ingredients.

**Recipe has no added salt. For adults, add a sprinkle of salt and pepper to individual servings.

Why is there so much butter in this recipe?

Maybe you’re wondering why add the vegan butter to this meal?  You might not do this for your own meal because of the extra fat and calories.  

Toddlers need more fat in their diet than most adults. Some toddlers are picky and will only take a few bites of any given meal. So, for toddlers, it’s especially important to pack concentrated calories/healthy fats and nutrients into each bite. The vegan butter adds healthy fats and calories, plus a rich creaminess to the recipe.

Related: 10 Reasons Why a Plant-Based Diet is Awesome for Kids

Related: How to Find Time to Cook When You Have a Baby or Toddler

I’ve made this recipe with leftovers I had in the fridge, and you can too.

Here’s how to make the Creamy Veggie Pasta Recipe using leftover pasta

Instructions

1. Using a large saucepan add 1 inch of water and set burner to medium high. Bring water to boil.

2. If you you have leftover veggies that are already cooked, add them to now and skip step 3.

3. If using fresh or frozen chopped veggies…add them to the boiling water, cover and steam for 6 minutes or until veggies are done to your liking.

4. Add leftover pasta, onion powder, nutritional yeast, vegan butter and plant-based milk. Stir well and let simmer for 2-3 minutes until sauce is a little creamy.

   IT’S SO EASY!

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