Homemade pasta dishes for my 13mo boy

I would like to share some ideas of fast-easy-nutritious homemade pasta dishes for working moms like myself. :)

#1 - Beef, fresh white & brown button mushrooms, garlic, red lentil, ground rolled oats

I love to use fresh white and brown button mushrooms to make his pasta sauce. I wash the mushrooms in hot water before slicing them into pieces.

I make this pasta sauce this morning from beef, fresh white and brown button mushrooms, garlic, red lentil, and ground rolled oats.

1. Heat up 2 tablespoons rice bran oil in a frying pan.

2. Add 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic. Stir fry until fragrant.

3. Add beef, mushrooms, and red lentil. Stir fry for about 5 minutes.

4. Add about 1/2 cup homemade stock to slightly cover the ingredients. Simmer for about 8-10 minutes.

5. Stir in 2 tablespoons of ground rolled oats, off the heat, and transfer everything into an electric lunch box.

6. Switch on the lunch box for another 20 minutes to cook through.

After letting the sauce cool down for about 10 minutes, I give it a few blitzes in a blender until it becomes creamy yet lumpy. My boy can take textured pasta sauce already at 13 months.

I boil some alphabet pasta separately and add into the pasta sauce.

Note: I bought Organic Alphabet Pasta from Justlife outlet at Gardens.

#2 - Broccoli, cauliflower, peas, fish, milk, ground rolled oats

This is another homemade pasta sauce. Ingredients include broccoli, cauliflower, peas, fish, milk, and ground rolled oats. This sauce is cooked in fresh milk, without adding extra water. The result is a creamier and smoother sauce. Ground rolled oats provide some texture and stickiness to the sauce.

#3 - English spinach, cauliflower, milk, chicken, ground rolled oats

Apart from alphabet pasta, my boy is also eating safari (animal-shaped) pasta. This pasta sauce is made from English spinach, cauliflower, chicken, milk, and ground rolled oats.

Here's how I made it: Baby's Safari (Animal-shaped) Pasta with Spinach, Cauliflower & Chicken Sauce.

Note: I bought Safari (animal-shaped) Pasta from Country Farm Organics.

#4 - Millet, brown rice, white button mushroom, onion, garlic, milk, chicken

I find that adding some grains can enhance the pasta's texture and taste; same concept as adding ground rolled oats. This pasta sauce is made from millet, brown rice, onion, garlic, chicken, and milk.

#5 - Potatoes, broccoli, cream cheese

This is my boy's first pasta dish when he turned 10 months old. His first pasta is Heinz's Cook at Home Baby Pasta Stars.

Here's how I made it - Baby's first pasta with cheesy potato-broccoli sauce.

#6 - Potatoes, carrot, chicken

This is another personal favorite - alphabet pasta in ABC soup (potatoes, carrot, and chicken). The ABC soup is cooked in a slow cooker for about 6 hours. Easy and nutritious.

#7 - Spinach, cherry tomatoes, chicken, anchovies, garlic, egg

I quite like this dish but my boy doesn't like it. Hahaha. I stir fry everything together in this sequence: rice bran oil, garlic, chicken, anchovies (soaked overnight), spinach, cherry tomatoes, egg, pasta (boiled and drained). It's ready to be served under 15 minutes.

#8 - Fish, potatoes, peas, milk, grated Cheddar cheese