This is my first recipe-style blog post and most probably my last as I’m not much of a cook! This recipe however was not created by me (breathe a sigh of relief) but the folks over at Piccolo, who make the baby food pouches that I love. I decided to have a go at my making the ‘Sweet Tomato Ricotta Spaghetti’ dish and because it was a big hit with all 3 of my kids (ranging from 7 months to 9 years) I’m sharing it here…
Here’s what you need:
1 tin of chopped tomatoes (400g)
4 basil leaves, chopped,
fresh black pepper
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
200g pasta (spiral or spaghetti)
100g ricotta
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 a red pepper – de-seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
glass of wine whilst cooking (optional)
And here’s how to make it:
1. In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the onion and garlic and saute these until they are transparent (around 8 minutes). Add the chopped red pepper and carrot and cook for a further few minutes.
2. Add the tin of tomatoes, tomato paste and a few twists of the black pepper mill and stir. Increase the heat slightly and let the sauce start to bubble away for a few minutes, then reduce the heat.
3. Put on a large pot of salted water and bring to the boil, add pasta to water and cook until ‘al dente’ approximately 8-10 minutes.
4. Add the ricotta and basil to the sauce and stir through.
5. Either puree or leave as a chunky tomato sauce.
The verdict
It was a pretty straightforward / easy meal to make and cost very little to buy the ingredients. I was happy knowing that my kids had a eaten a healthy, freshly-made dinner with zero nasties. Most importantly, all three of the kids loved it and wolfed it down! I’m a big fan of a meal that everyone can eat because it makes life so much easier.
The piccolo pouches are great, especially when out and about or time-poor, but they can work out expensive if using for every meal, so it’s great if you’re able to recreate at home on the cheap. Also my baby (7months) will eat puree if hungry but he much prefers food he can feed himself and grab in his little fists! So this dish was a winner!
Tip: The recipe said makes 8 portions. I don’t know if my kids eat above average portion sizes but I’d say realistically it makes enough for 4 portions.
I’d love to know how you get on if you give this a go! Please tag me @the_double_mama if you share any photos so I can see 🙂
The Double Mama 