
At long last, I’m sharing the recipe I’ve probably made the most since Adriana started eating solids (which somehow feels like forever ago and just yesterday at the same time). I’ve had so many requests for this recipe, but never got around to sharing it because it would always be devoured right away, leaving no time for photos. Last week, I finally made it in the morning so I’d have a bit of time to snap a few shots.
I use the term “recipe” lightly here because I never measure the ingredients for this pasta; not having to measure anything is part of its beauty and ease. I measured it here so you can get a feel for it, but once you do, I encourage you to throw caution to the wind and wing it! It’s really hard to mess up. You can often find me glugging marinara, spooning hummus, and dumping hemp hearts with abandon into the cooked pasta. The quicker the better, especially when there’s a hangry toddler screaming “Paaaaaaaasta!” at your feet.
Not only is this pasta fast and delicious, it packs in tons of protein, fibre, and healthy fats. You can also change it up and customize it so many different ways—I’ve provided a few ideas in the recipe, but I’d love to hear what you come up with, too!

I’ve been hesitant to share “toddler-friendly” recipes on here because I’ve learned a few things about feeding a toddler: 1) what they claim to love and hate changes by the day (or minute), 2) toddler likes and dislikes are not one size fits all, and 3) the food my daughter loved at one year old (virtually everything!) is certainly not what she loves at two years old (this age is much more hot and cold, as she loves to assert her independence). It’s not uncommon for me to think I’ve found a foolproof toddler-friendly recipe to share with you, only for it to then be rejected for a month straight. (And I once read that a little one often needs 20 exposures to the same food before they take to it, too.) Luckily, my dear recipe tester, Nicole, runs a daycare and she shares most of my recipes with her daycare children, which gives me a much better idea whether a recipe will be, generally speaking, a winner. I’m happy to say this one was enjoyed!
Anyway, I’m sure we’ll have a mix of “my baby/toddler/kid loved this” and “my kiddo only ate one bite” in the comments—that’s just the nature of the beast. (And by “beast” I mean toddler, in a sometimes cute/sometimes scary kinda way…am I right?) But my hope is that some of you will be able to fall back on this recipe as often as we do. I don’t know what I’d do without it as it’s just so easy. Oh, and yes, us adults like it too, so even if you don’t have kids you may want to give it a try on those busy, too-tired-to-cook weeknights. It’s great paired with a simple side salad and Lemon-Tahini Dressing, which can be thrown together while the pasta cooks.


Adriana's Fave 10-Minute Pasta

Yield
4 (adult-size) servings
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
I’ve made this pasta countless times for our family; it’s hard to beat how fast and nutritious it is, and it can be changed up so many ways. It packs in around 20 grams of protein and 11 grams of fibre per (adult-size) serving (depending on which kind of pasta you use, of course—see my notes), not to mention healthy fats from the hemp hearts. My advice if you’re in a rush is to start heating up the water first, before you gather any other ingredients, as it can take some time for the water to come to a boil. If you happen to have a batch of my Fail-Proof Marinara Sauce from Oh She Glows Every Day (p. 175) on hand, it works wonderfully in this dish. Of course, store-bought marinara works just as well, too.
Ingredients
For the pasta:
- 1 box (340 g/12 ounces) rotini or fusilli pasta*
- 2 cups (500 mL) marinara sauce
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup (80 mL to 125 mL) hummus
- 1/4 cup (35 g) hemp hearts
Optional add-ins:
- Fine sea salt, to taste
- Garlic powder, to taste
- Frozen peas or other veggies**
- Cooked lentils or beans
- Fresh spinach or basil, minced in food processor
- Puréed cooked carrots or cauliflower***
Directions
- Add water into a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. While you are waiting for it to boil, gather the rest of the ingredients. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium, add the pasta, and stir with a wooden spoon. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, stirring every now and then to prevent the pasta sticking.
- Drain the cooked pasta well and place it back into the pot. Stir in the marinara, hummus, and hemp hearts until combined. Taste and add a bit of salt or other mix-ins if desired.
- Heat over low until warmed throughout. If serving this pasta to a little one, spread a scoop of pasta out on a plate to gently cool it before serving.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple days. To reheat, add the pasta into a pot along with a bit of extra marinara sauce (this adds moisture back) and stir to combine. Heat over medium-low heat until warmed throughout.
Tip:
* I typically use whole-grain kamut pasta. And sometimes, I mix in a bit of red lentil pasta for a protein boost. Feel free to use any kind of pasta you and your family enjoy!
** To quickly thaw frozen peas, add them to the pot during the last minute or two of cooking the pasta.
*** When I have time, I love to steam or boil carrots (or cauliflower) and then purée them until smooth. Then I stir the puréed veggies directly into the pasta. It’s an easy way to add even more nutrition without impacting the flavour too much.
This pasta goes lovely with a simple side salad and garlic bread. If your little one isn't a salad fan, try giving them small lettuce leaves for dipping into the dressing.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Last but not least, be sure to follow me on Instagram if you aren’t already! I have an exciting Vitamix and OSG cookbook giveaway coming up!
And again you did it! :)
I didn’t have any hemp but even without it was oh so good. Made my own marinara sauce and was very pleased so I’m off to the store now to go get some other ingredients and play in the kitchen with your recipes ;)
This was so good! I added hemp hearts and cooked some red lentils right along with the pasta, using half kamut and half regular, it was so delicious! Going to try feeding some to my toddler tomorrow. I’m not a fan of tomato based sauces so the hummus made this so much better. I love hummus and so does the kid. Thanks for such an easy toddler friendly recipe Angela!
Thanks for your comment, Sarah! I hope it’s a hit with your little one, too. :)
I wasn’t sure about hummus + pasta, but I had some hummus to use up, so I decided to go for it. I’ve liked everything I’ve made from this blog, and this recipe was no exception! I’ll definitely be making it again :) thanks for another great recipe!
I will have to try this recipe. I am always looking for healthy kid friendly recipes. My littles are 3, 5, and 7 years old. I also love the tips about adding in puréed veggies. I haven’t tried that before.
Heidi
http://heidifingerfood.blogspot.com
I hope it’s a hit with your family too, Heidi! I’d love to hear how it goes over. :)
I was so happy to find a single serving of this in the back of my freezer today! My daughter (18 months) loved it the first time, and again today too! It’s so quick and easy to make. Thanks for the great recipe!
the last time I made pasta it took me about an hour, doing it in 10 minutes is a dream come true considering how much I love pasta :D .. definitely trying this over the weekend.. thanks a ton, you always come up with amazing recipes :)
Also shouldn’t we wash the pasta under cold running water once after the boil?
Hey Richi, Thanks so much for your kind words! I hope you enjoyed this recipe. :) Typically, when serving pasta warm and with sauce, as in this dish, you don’t need to rinse it—just drain. Rinsing is intended to wash off the starchy film that forms on cooked pasta, which is definitely important when making something like a cold pasta salad, so it doesn’t all clump together; but for warm, saucy pasta dishes you actually want that film to stick around (apologies for the accidental pun), as it helps the sauce coat and cling to the pasta.
Well I think hummus is the real changer here. Hummus is not something one usually associates with pasta but I tried the recipe a couple of days back and it was perfect, definitely cooking this again. thanks for such awesome recipes you keep coming up with :)
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the hummus addition, Vincent! We think it adds such a lovely boost to this everyday pasta recipe.
I’m not a toddler (or a have one) but this dish sounds delicious. I’ll let you know what I think when I try it. Thanks for sharing. :)
Lol, hope you enjoy it!
Being a big pasta lover, I decided to follow this recipe. It was really delicious. It was easy and quick. My kids loved it!
I love hummus very much, I’ll have to try this!
https://bodyshape101.com
YUM I would have never thought to put hummus in pasta. Needing to try this now. Thanks for the inspiration!!
-Nikki
www.nikkisplate.com
Hope you enjoy it if you decide to give it a try, Nikki!
great recipe I love your way of cooking and teaching.
I am going to make this recipe for my children and husband.
I think the recipe is decent but do not understand this idea of a child choosing to not be eating the food prepared for it.
This recipe really appealed to me as I want to prepare for my little girl going onto solid foods- Love the recipe and the plate is gorgeous!! I need that! ?
Hi Angela, I agree with the 20 exposures thing as far as kids taking to a food is concerned. But I guess the same can be applied to us adults too because it takes about 21 days for us to form a habit and affinity towards a certain food is no different! The hummus is a nice touch. I love how the vegetable ingredients and being an Indian and a strict vegetarian myself, I am going to try making this for sure!
This looks sooo good! :)
http://wanderluststhoughts.blogspot.sk/
I have not tried humus with pasta before. Fabulously delicious idea! This is such a tremendous twist on a fun recipe. And, I love introducing new foods to the kids. I hope they can travel the world one day and will never be afraid to try new delicacies from other countries.
looking yumm.. will try soon
Hi Angela,
I just wanted to let you know that whenever I meet with someone who is asking for food advice in transitioning to vegetarian or vegan, yours is always the website I give them a link for. I’ve used some of your recipes and they’ve always worked out well so I’m not afraid to recommend you.
Congrats on all your success and thanks for the support.
Debby
Wow, thank you so much! That means a lot to me Debby. :)
I thought this dish was really easy to make and fast. I followed the 2 other reviewers advice and cooked the pasta separately for about 7 minutes, drained almost all of the water, and then added it to my already cooking tomatoes, garlic and onions. I really enjoyed this dish.