Family kitchen · Main meals

Creamy spinach & ricotta pasta

Favourite pasta, a gentle sauce and little washing-up. The spinach comes straight from the freezer.

Hands-on: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Base recipe: 4 servings

Let’s cook

Protein · Calcium · Fibre

Why it works for children & what’s in it

Times are estimates for the base recipe. Larger quantities may take longer.

Step by step

Here’s how.

0 / 4

Keep it simple today.

Frozen chopped spinach saves washing and chopping. Cook the sauce while the pasta boils.

What you can prepare ahead

Cook the sauce the day before, cool quickly and refrigerate at 5 °C or below. Reheat thoroughly once the next day and add freshly cooked pasta.

Got interrupted? Tick off each step as you finish, so you can find your place again here.

Step 1: Bring a pan of water to the boil. Cook the penne following the packet instructions, until soft enough for your child. Save a mug of cooking water before draining.
Step 2: Meanwhile, warm the oil in a large frying pan. Add the frozen spinach and milk. Cover and cook over a medium heat for about 8–10 minutes, stirring several times and following the spinach packet instructions. It must be hot all the way through.
Step 3: Turn the heat low and stir in the ricotta. Add 3 tbsp of the saved pasta water first, then a little more if the sauce needs loosening.
Step 4: Fold in the drained pasta and heat everything through. Check the temperature before serving. Pasta and sauce can also sit side by side on the plate.

If there is room for it today

Helping is lovely. Watching is fine too.

Your child can spoon the ricotta into a bowl. An adult handles the hob, hot pan and draining.

It does not have to be a family cooking project. It is fine to do it yourself today.

Good things for your family table

Why it works for children.

The gentle sauce clings to short pasta shapes, making them easier to pick up with a fork. Start with a little sauce and let everyone choose more at the table.

The nutrients in these ingredients.

Protein: Here, from: Ricotta and wholewheat pasta
A building block children need for growth and for making body tissues.
About this nutrient
Calcium: Here, from: Ricotta and milk
Important for building bones and teeth, especially during growth.
About this nutrient
Fibre: Here, from: Wholewheat pasta and spinach
Parts of plant foods that help keep digestion working normally.
About this nutrient

These notes refer to the ingredients in the base recipe. The amount on the plate depends on preparation, portion size and swaps. Variety across the week makes the difference.

Make it yours.

No ricotta? Use 200 g plain cream cheese with a little more pasta water. Very finely chopped, softly cooked broccoli can replace the spinach.

Feeling a little unsure?

A little sauce beside familiar pasta is a good place to start. Be open about the spinach. Trying it is an invitation, not a requirement.

Keeping leftovers

Cool leftovers quickly in a shallow container, refrigerate within 1–2 hours at 5 °C or below and eat the next day. Add a little water and reheat thoroughly once. Do not keep food left on your child’s plate.

For younger eaters

Designed for family meals from age 3, not as a weaning recipe. Always adapt shape and texture to your child’s abilities. Cook hard pieces until soft or grate finely; cut up small round foods. Stay with your child while they eat. For known allergies, check ingredients and substitutions individually.

Our approach & sources

These recipes are ideas for family life with children aged 3 and up. Quantities are a guide, not a target to finish. Age, appetite and individual needs vary. Variety across the week matters; no single recipe covers every nutritional need.

Our general guidance draws on the recommendations below. These organisations have not reviewed or endorsed the individual recipes. Editing: Pureli.

Recipe development: Pureli.

Here’s how.

Helping is lovely. Watching is fine too.

Why it works for children.

The nutrients in these ingredients.

Make it yours.

Feeling a little unsure?

Someone else might love this too.

More ideas for your table.

Roast potatoes, broccoli & dip

Velvety lentil & carrot soup

Potato & pea frittata