My munchkin still has a nap in the mornings (thankfully) which gives me some time to get a few things done. When I’m organised, I’ll start preparing his lunch before he wakes up. Other days (which are far more frequent than my organised days) I hear him wake up and realise with a start I’m going to have to rustle up something very quick for lunch.

This is one of my favourite pasta sauces, made from ingredients I pretty much always have – a tin of tuna, some yogurt and some herbs. And if I don’t have any fresh herbs than a pinch of dried herbs works just as well.

My sixteen-month-old loves pasta and he constantly amazes me with the amount of pasta he can wolf down in one sitting (well he is half-Italian). This recipe makes enough sauce for 30-35g of pasta. If this is too much for your little one, just reduce the quantities of tuna and yogurt a bit.

Quick tuna pasta sauce with yogurt and chives

Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 5 mins
Makes 1 toddler serving

Ingredients

• 1/4 185g can tuna, drained and flaked
• Drizzle of olive oil
• 2 tbsp yogurt
• A pinch of salt and pepper (optional)
• 1 or 2 stems of chives, chopped

Method

1. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a small frying pan over med-low heat.
2. Add the tuna and heat through for a minute or two, stirring constantly.
3. Take off the heat and stir in the yogurt. Add salt and pepper, if using.
4. Add your cooked pasta and mix in the pan.
5. Sprinkle over chives and serve.

Variations:

• Use fresh salmon instead of the tuna
• Replace the yogurt with crème fraiche or cream
• Use dill or parsley instead of the chives
• Add a squeeze of lemon juice before you add your cooked pasta

Other uses:

• Use the sauce as a crepe filling

+Anne Willicombe