Babies can eat pasta from 6 months, when they start solids. At 6 months: big tube shapes such as rigatoni or penne, boiled until very soft, to grab with a fist. Why so big: babies this age grab with the whole hand, so a finger-sized piece with a bit sticking out of the fist is easiest to hold and gnaw, and gnawing helps them learn to chew. Feeding themselves carries no more risk of choking than being fed with a spoon; always stay with your baby while they eat.
- Other names and forms
- macaroni, spaghetti and penne
- Start
- 6 months, when solids begin
- Common allergen
- Yes: wheat
- Iron
- 1.3 mg per 100 g
- Textures
- Finger food
How to serve pasta by age
6 to 8 months
Big tube shapes such as rigatoni or penne, boiled until very soft, to grab with a fist. Why so big: babies this age grab with the whole hand, so a finger-sized piece with a bit sticking out of the fist is easiest to hold and gnaw, and gnawing helps them learn to chew. Feeding themselves carries no more risk of choking than being fed with a spoon; always stay with your baby while they eat.
9 to 11 months
Small shapes about 1 cm, such as little shells or ditalini, or bigger shapes cut to about 1 cm, cooked very soft. Why smaller now: between about 9 and 12 months babies learn to pick food up between thumb and finger, and small soft pieces let them practice. Babies who don't move on to lumpy food by about 9 to 10 months are more likely to have feeding difficulties later.
12 months and up
Family pasta in any shape, cooked soft and sauced without added salt.
Sito shows this card at your baby's exact age, for 583 foods.
Pasta and food allergy
Wheat is one of the nine major food allergens. ASCIA, the Australasian allergy society, advises introducing common allergy foods in the first year, by 12 months, one new one at a meal, and once a food is tolerated, keeping it in the diet at least once a week.
If your baby has severe eczema or a known food allergy, talk to your doctor before offering common allergy foods.
Signs of a reaction soon after a food include swelling of the lips, face or eyes, hives or welts, vomiting, and a sudden change in behavior. Difficult or noisy breathing, a swollen tongue, or a baby who turns pale and floppy is an emergency: call 911 or your local emergency number.
Nutrients
USDA figures per 100 g (Pasta, cooked, enriched, without added salt): iron 1.3 mg, zinc 0.51 mg and calcium 7.0 mg. Household measures from USDA: 1 cup is about 120 g.
Starting Solids in the Sito app
Sito is our app. From 4 months, the home screen is Starting Solids: the signs of readiness, how to serve each of 583 foods at your baby's age, and a quick log for every taste. Spears to grip or mashed on a spoon, each food's card shows the shapes that fit your baby's age, and swipes ahead to how it changes as they grow.
The Allergen Ladder takes 9 common allergens, one at a time, with a check-in after each. At 12 months the full app opens on its own: meals from a photo, 18 nutrients, and how to cut every food until age 4.
Every first food, served right
Add your baby and Starting Solids opens at 4 months.
FAQ
When can babies eat pasta?
From 6 months, when your baby starts solids.
How do you serve pasta to a 6-month-old?
Big tube shapes such as rigatoni or penne, boiled until very soft, to grab with a fist. Why so big: babies this age grab with the whole hand, so a finger-sized piece with a bit sticking out of the fist is easiest to hold and gnaw, and gnawing helps them learn to chew. Feeding themselves carries no more risk of choking than being fed with a spoon; always stay with your baby while they eat.
How do you serve pasta to a 9-month-old?
Small shapes about 1 cm, such as little shells or ditalini, or bigger shapes cut to about 1 cm, cooked very soft. Why smaller now: between about 9 and 12 months babies learn to pick food up between thumb and finger, and small soft pieces let them practice. Babies who don't move on to lumpy food by about 9 to 10 months are more likely to have feeding difficulties later.
How do you serve pasta to a 12-month-old?
Family pasta in any shape, cooked soft and sauced without added salt.
Is pasta a common allergen?
Yes. Wheat is one of the nine major food allergens. ASCIA advises offering common allergy foods by 12 months, one new one at a meal, and once one is tolerated, at least once a week after that.
Sources
- CDC: When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods
- CDC: Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- ASCIA: How to introduce solid foods to babies for allergy prevention
- USDA FoodData Central: Pasta, cooked, enriched, without added salt
- AAP HealthyChildren: Movement Milestones: Babies 4 to 7 Months
- CDC: Important Milestones: Your Baby By One Year
- ESPGHAN: Complementary Feeding: A Position Paper by the ESPGHAN Committee on Nutrition (2017)