Toddler Approved Simple Beef Spaghetti

And I. Just. Can't.

I must admit, I was never able to let my baby eat spaghetti like that. Maybe I deprived him of an awfully amazing (and mostly excessively messy) sensory experience. But I never felt guilty, even when I came across a few articles about "studies" implying how beneficial messy eating is. 😛

Speaking of studies, did you see Last Week Tonight with John Oliver about scientific studies? OMG! Too funny. You just HAVE to check it out 😉

Now on to the easiest Toddler Approved Simple Beef Spaghetti recipe, one of Roy's favorite first foods. ↓ YUM! I usually make a huge pot of this stuff because I love comforting, satisfying spaghetti.

How to make simple beef spaghetti

With just a few pantry staples, this Toddler Approved Simple Beef Spaghetti can be whipped up in no time!

In a Dutch oven or large pot, brown the ground beef for about 5 minutes. Add the onion, ground cinnamon and salt, then cook until fragrant.

Add the fresh tomatoes and cook for a couple more minutes.

Mix in the tomato paste, water and cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook your spaghetti according to the package instructions.

Add the cooked spaghetti and a bit more tomato paste and mix well.

You can definitely spice things up if you're serving adults. I usually add more salt and spices, or even hot sauce, to my own bowl.

Serving spaghetti to babies and toddlers

So how did I feed Roy spaghetti as a baby? I used to mash it with a fork and feed it to him, or let him self-feed with a spoon 🙂

But if you prefer to let your baby or toddler slop spaghetti all around with their hands, no mashing or forks needed for you! 😛 Just a bath afterward.

In the meantime, Roy and I will be over here helping ourselves to bowl after bowl of this comforting Toddler Approved Simple Beef Spaghetti. 🙂

What I've used in this recipe:

Here's a complete list of my kitchen essentials.

Toddler Approved Simple Beef Spaghetti