Trying to get veg into my two at the minute is a nightmare; my little girl outright refuses, and my little boy is doing ok but will no doubt start copying his sister soon! This is a really simple pasta where the sauce is predominantly butternut squash! My two adore this pasta, and the sauce is so thick that it coats the pasta ensuring they get the goodness! There are plenty of things you can add to it too for a spot of variety, (see the variations below.)

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash (I use a half of a bag of pre-prepped frozen butternut squash for ease sometimes.)
1 chopped onion (I always use the frozen chopped stuff)
1/2 tbsp garlic paste
125ml vegetable stock
1-2tbsp garlic and herb cream cheese
100g grated cheese (optional)

Method:

• In a saucepan, boil your butternut squash until soft
• Drain the butternut squash and leave to one side
• In another pan, boil enough pasta for 4 child portions  
• In your butternut squash pan, with a little oil, gently fry your onion and garlic until soft
• Stir the butternut squash into the onion and garlic along with the stock, and simmer for 5 mins.
• Pour your sauce mixture into a blender and blend until smooth
• Drain your pasta, put it back in the pan (either your pasta or veg pan!) and stir in the sauce until all mixed together and warmed through
• Over a low heat, stir in your desired amount of cream cheese until melted, and then divide into bowls and serve

Variations/Tips:

Don’t forget to season this recipe to your taste, a little black pepper works well!

I sometimes like to make it extra cheesy and add a little grated cheese too

I like to serve my pasta with a garlic bread slice cut into 4 thin strips and the kids get a slice each

You can add pieces of chopped ham or cooked chicken to make it a chicken pasta. (I regularly add pieces of cooked chicken thigh.)

You can experiment with different types of spaghetti or pasta to help little ones with their fine motor skills.

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