{"id":9523,"date":"2026-05-16T11:41:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T09:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cookingformybaby.com\/en\/?p=9523"},"modified":"2026-05-16T12:23:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T10:23:57","slug":"baby-ham-pasta-shells","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cookingformybaby.com\/en\/baby-ham-pasta-shells\/","title":{"rendered":"Baby Pasta Shells with Ham"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some recipes instantly smell like childhood\u2026 and these little pasta shells with ham are definitely one of them! It\u2019s a dish my mom loved making for me when I was little 🙂<\/p>\n

Simple small pasta shells<\/strong>, finely blended ham<\/strong>, and a base of creamy carrot pur\u00e9e<\/strong>: the kind of comforting meal everyone loves, babies and adults alike.
\nIn this version, I wanted to keep that \u201cschool cafeteria \/ Wednesday lunch\u201d feeling while adapting it for baby: an easy-to-eat texture thanks to the soft pasta mixed with pur\u00e9e, simple ingredients, and a recipe you can make in just a few minutes.<\/p>\n

The little twist here is the creamy carrot and onion pur\u00e9e<\/strong>: it adds flavor without needing salt and coats the pasta perfectly. And most importantly, it\u2019s incredibly practical for busy days: you can make extra pur\u00e9e<\/strong>, freeze it in portions<\/strong>, and only cook the pasta on the day you serve it!
\nResult: a quick homemade meal that\u2019s truly comforting.<\/p>\n

Note: I also have another baby pasta shells recipe that\u2019s very popular: express blanquette-style pasta shells for baby<\/a>!<\/p>\n

Ingredients<\/h2>\n

For one serving:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • 1 carrot<\/strong> (about 3.5\u20134 oz \/ 100\u2013120 g)<\/li>\n
  • 2 teaspoons onion<\/strong> (10 g, or 10 g shallot)<\/li>\n
  • 1\/4 cup small pasta shells<\/strong> (20 g uncooked)<\/li>\n
  • 1\/2 oz white ham<\/strong> (15 g, nitrite-free)<\/li>\n
  • 1 tablespoon cr\u00e8me fra\u00eeche<\/strong> (sour cream, optional)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    How to Make Baby Pasta with Ham and Carrot Pur\u00e9e<\/h2>\n

    1. Steam the vegetables<\/h3>\n

    Peel the carrot and slice it into rounds.
    \nPeel the onion.<\/p>\n

    \n
    \"Sliced
    Sliced carrot and onion before cooking<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

    Steam the carrot and onion for 12 minutes<\/strong>, until very tender.<\/p>\n

    2. Blend into a pur\u00e9e<\/h3>\n

    Once cooked, place the vegetables in a blender. Add a little cooking water if needed to adjust the consistency.<\/p>\n

    You should get a smooth, creamy pur\u00e9e that isn\u2019t too thick.<\/p>\n

    Then add 1 tablespoon cr\u00e8me fra\u00eeche<\/strong> and mix well.<\/p>\n

    \n
    \"Carrot
    Carrot pur\u00e9e<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

    3. Cook the pasta shells<\/h3>\n
    \n
    \"20
    20 g baby pasta shells<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

    Cook 1\/4 cup small pasta shells (20 g)<\/strong> slightly longer than indicated on the package if needed for a softer texture depending on baby\u2019s age.
    \nBefore draining, reserve a few tablespoons of pasta cooking water<\/strong>, then drain.<\/p>\n

    To save time, you can cook the pasta while the vegetables steam \u2014 just keep an eye on the cooking times for each.<\/p>\n

    4. Blend the ham<\/h3>\n

    Blend 1\/2 oz ham (15 g)<\/strong> until very fine. The goal is a smooth minced ham texture that will be very pleasant for baby once mixed with the pasta and pur\u00e9e.<\/p>\n

    \n
    \"Blended
    Blended ham<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

    5. Plate and serve!<\/h3>\n

    Spread a layer of creamy carrot-onion pur\u00e9e on the plate, add the pasta shells on top, then the blended ham.<\/p>\n

    You can also mix everything together depending on your baby\u2019s preference.<\/p>\n

    You can add a little finely chopped fresh herb like chives or parsley \u2014 it looks pretty and adds lots of flavor.<\/p>\n

    Enjoy, baby!<\/p>\n

    PS: Parents who taste it and keep coming back for more\u2026 we see you! \"😅\"<\/p>\n

    Batch Cooking Tip<\/h2>\n

    You can prepare extra carrot-onion pur\u00e9e<\/strong> (x4 or x6) and freeze it in small portions (ice cube trays or baby food jars).
    \nThat way, on busy days, you only need to cook the pasta shells<\/strong> and reheat one portion of pur\u00e9e. Dinner is ready in minutes!<\/p>\n

    Storage<\/h2>\n

    In the refrigerator<\/h3>\n

    24 to 48 hours in an airtight container (ideally without leaving it at room temperature too long).<\/p>\n

    In the freezer<\/h3>\n

    I mainly recommend freezing the carrot-onion pur\u00e9e<\/strong>, since the pasta can become softer after thawing.<\/p>\n

    Pur\u00e9e<\/strong>: up to 2\u20133 months<\/strong> in the freezer.<\/p>\n

    Reheating<\/h3>\n

    Reheat gently in a saucepan with a spoonful of water to loosen it, or in the microwave covered, stirring well afterward.<\/p>\n

    Variations<\/h2>\n
      \n
    • Without ham<\/strong>: serve just the pasta and pur\u00e9e, or replace the ham with mashed hard-boiled egg or finely blended chicken.<\/li>\n
    • Extra \u201csaucy\u201d version<\/strong>: add a little more cream (or a bit of cream cheese) to the pur\u00e9e.<\/li>\n
    • Family version<\/strong>: serve the plain baby version, and adults can add pepper, salt, grated cheese\u2026 directly to their own plate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      FAQ<\/h2>\n
      \n
      \n
      \n

      At what age can babies eat this recipe?<\/h3>\n
      \n

      Generally from 8 months old<\/strong>, if baby is comfortable with well-cooked pasta and blended textures. You can adapt it by cooking the pasta longer and mixing it thoroughly with the pur\u00e9e.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      \n

      Can I make it without cream?<\/h3>\n
      \n

      Absolutely! You can blend with a little pasta cooking water or a splash of milk instead. The cream simply adds richness and a comforting texture.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      \n

      Can I replace the onion?<\/h3>\n
      \n

      Yes, with shallot (which is milder), or you can even leave it out if baby is sensitive. The carrot alone already gives a naturally sweet base.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      \n

      Why blend the ham with the pur\u00e9e?<\/h3>\n
      \n

      It prevents dry chunks and creates a finely blended texture that\u2019s very easy to eat. It also coats the pasta better.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      \n

      How should baby pasta shells be cooked?<\/h3>\n
      \n

      For babies, I recommend cooking them a little longer<\/strong> than for adults so they become very soft. This makes the pasta easy to mash between the tongue and palate. You can also mix them directly into the pur\u00e9e for an even softer texture.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      \n

      Can I replace the pasta shells with another pasta or starch?<\/h3>\n
      \n

      Yes! You can use small pasta shapes<\/strong> (alphabet pasta, stars, orzo), well-cooked rice<\/strong>, or even fine semolina<\/strong>. The goal is to keep an easy-to-eat texture that mixes well with the pur\u00e9e.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      \n

      How can I prevent the pasta from sticking together?<\/h3>\n
      \n

      Always keep a little pasta cooking water<\/strong> \u2014 that\u2019s the secret. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons to the pur\u00e9e or when mixing in the pasta. It makes everything creamier and prevents dry or sticky pasta.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Some recipes instantly smell like childhood\u2026 and these little pasta shells with ham are definitely one of them!…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9524,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[175,261,250,338,48,199,293,49,145,353,7,51,52,57,42,367,81,366,80],"tags":[428,421,381,380],"class_list":["post-9523","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-10-months","category-11-months","category-12-months","category-18-months","category-8-months","category-9-months","category-baby-food-recipes","category-age","category-onion","category-lunch","category-puree","category-ingredient","category-carrot","category-ham","category-meat","category-pasta","category-proteins","category-starchies-and-cereals","category-vegetables","tag-ham","tag-pasta","tag-puree","tag-vegetables"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cookingformybaby.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9523","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cookingformybaby.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cookingformybaby.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cookingformybaby.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cookingformybaby.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9523"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.cookingformybaby.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9523\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9683,"href":"https:\/\/www.cookingformybaby.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9523\/revisions\/9683"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cookingformybaby.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9524"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cookingformybaby.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9523"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cookingformybaby.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9523"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cookingformybaby.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9523"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}