andrejthechef
InternationalPastaLunchVegetarian

Creamy Cauliflower Pasta

Small pasta shapes coated in a smooth cauliflower and cheese sauce. No added salt, and a good way to hide a vegetable in plain sight.

prep
10 min
cook
20 min
total
30 min
serves
4
level
easy
Creamy Cauliflower Pasta, a soft, toddler-friendly meal

This one hides a full serving of cauliflower inside a sauce that looks and tastes close enough to a familiar cheese sauce that most toddlers never clock what's actually in it.

Blend the sauce properly smooth. It's the one step that turns cauliflower, which can otherwise be stringy, into something safe and pleasant for a toddler to eat.

If your little one is still earlier in the journey, start with our Baby's First Foods guide.

Part of our 40 toddler meal ideas list.

method

  1. Cook the pasta according to the package, until fully soft, a little past al dente. Drain and set aside.

  2. Steam or boil the cauliflower florets until very soft, about 10 to 12 minutes.

  3. Blend the cooked cauliflower with the milk and butter until completely smooth, with no lumps or fibrous pieces remaining.

  4. Pour the cauliflower sauce into a pan over low heat, and stir in the cheese until melted and smooth.

  5. Toss the cooked pasta through the sauce until well coated.

  6. Let it cool to just warm before serving.

chef's tips

  • Blend the cauliflower sauce thoroughly, longer than feels necessary, so there are no small fibrous bits left that could catch in a toddler's throat.
  • This sauce is a genuinely useful way to add a vegetable serving without anyone needing to notice, since it looks and tastes close to a familiar cheese sauce.
  • No added salt is needed. The cheese provides plenty of savory flavor on its own.
  • Use small pasta shapes, like shells or small macaroni, rather than long noodles, which are harder for a toddler to manage safely.