Getting your kids to eat can be TOUGH. This easy One-Pot Toddler Pasta is so simple to make and will have them coming back for seconds!
It’s been so long since I’ve posted a recipe for Norah, so I decided to share one of her favorite meals! The last time I shared a kid-specific recipe it was these 5 Ingredient Carrot Cake Pancakes almost a year ago!
Pancakes of any sort are still a favorite of hers, but I’ve recently come to find out that feeding toddlers can be a bit tricky! Let’s just say this One-Pot Toddler Pasta has saved the day on more than one occasion.
From the moment we started baby-led weaning at 6 months, I was blown away at how well Norah took to food. She was eating tons of avocado, spinach, and eggs from the get-go!
As the months went on, she became even better and was always known for how well she ate and how good she was with utensils. Even now she shovels food in her mouth like it’s a competition. However, over the last 6 months, I’ve definitely seen a change in her food preferences.
While she used to eat plain spears of avocado like candy, now she’ll only eat them in the form of guacamole. Peas are typically a hard no unless mixed in with something else. I used to feel bad about ‘hiding’ vegetables in her meals, but now I’m definitely not opposed to it.
I just make sure that I’m also offering her those foods in their natural form so hopefully, she’ll one day develop a taste for them. For example, I like to blend in spinach with her mac and cheese sauce, but I still saute it in grass-fed butter and offer it to her that was as well.
With any luck, she’ll end up an adventurous eater like mommy and daddy. Until then, this pasta is a hearty but healthy meal we can rely on.
Since you cook this pasta in chicken broth, it tastes almost like a cross between chicken noodle soup and mac and cheese! Yum! Instead of peas and carrots, I’ve also grated in a bit of broccoli and she still gobbles it up!
I like to use bone broth since it’s more nutrient-dense, but regular broth or stock (or water) works just as well. What are some of your favorite toddler meals? I’d love to continue sharing a few of Norah’s favorites!
In this shot Norah is sitting in her Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair and loves it!

One-Pot Toddler Pasta
Ingredients
- 4 oz alphabet pasta (can sub any short-cut pasta)
- 1 1/3 cups chicken bone broth
- 1 carrot, shredded
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 oz shredded white cheddar cheese
Instructions
Add pasta, bone broth, carrot, and peas to a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Stir frequently until the pasta is al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the butter, cream, and cheese and stir until well-combined and creamy. Add salt and pepper, if desired, and serve immediately.
Notes
Try using protein-packed chickpea pasta like Banza for added nutrients!
Jenny
Monday 18th of September 2023
Where can I get white cheddar cheese?
Cheryle
Thursday 4th of May 2023
I’ve been trying to hide veggies in my toddler’s meals, which has resulted in my picker eater throwing things and me desperately needing a professional carpet cleaning. I’m hoping she’ll like this meal, she does love noodles and surprisingly, she does love peas. Thank you for sharing!!
Paige
Monday 10th of July 2023
Haha! I know what you mean! I sure do hope your toddler enjoyed the meal. :)
Gizelle
Thursday 26th of January 2023
Hi I’m making this later and I want to know do I add uncooked pasta with the brown broth or do I cook the uncooked pasta water then add it to the other ingredients?
Paige
Friday 27th of January 2023
Hi Gizelle! You boil the pasta in the broth with the other ingredients. This makes it one-pot and the pasta absorbs all the flavor and nutrients from the broth!
Kelsey
Monday 2nd of January 2023
Making this for my little mr.picky right now. Hoping it's a hit.
youfavhoe
Thursday 1st of December 2022
icl you need to add the nutrients