Cole came home from daycare one day asking for alphabet soup. When I probed further, he explained it had to be red soup with alphabet noodles, just like he saw one of the other kids eating for lunch. “Oh!” I said as it dawned on me. “Do you mean Alphagetti?’ His eyes lit up. “Yes, that’s it!” he exclaimed. “Can you make it for dinner?” His big brown puppy-dog eyes stared up at me, pleading with me. How could I say no? The problem was that we didn’t have any cans of Alphagetti in our cupboard. We did, however, happen to have alphabet noodles and tomato sauce on hand, so I made my own Alphagetti. I added a few healthy additions, like onions and grated carrot, to give it more substance and nutrition. I can confidently say that this is Cole’s favourite meal. He often asks for it for dinner now, and will even ask for seconds…and even thirds! After dinner, he normally has a bath and then a bed-time snack, which is usually something like fruit or yogurt, but when I made this he actually asked for more alphagetti as his snack! It’s such a shock, because Cole is notoriously fussy when it comes to dinner. I wouldn’t say it’s an exact clone of Alphagetti, but luckily Cole doesn’t have much experience with the real thing so he accepted this recipe without a problem. I personally like this homemade version better, and I love that it’s good for you with much less sodium than the canned variety and has some fresh vegetables snuck in there too.
Homemade Alphagetti
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 carrot, finely grated
1 can (680 ml) tomato sauce
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 cup uncooked alphabet noodles*
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
In a large pot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion, garlic and carrot for about 3-5 minutes, until soft. Add tomato sauce, broth, sugar, worcestershire sauce, basil and oregano. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer covered for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cook alphabet noodles in boiling water, according to package direction. Drain and set aside.
Remove tomato sauce from heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce until fairly smooth (you can skip this part if you’d rather have it chunky). Stir in the cooked alphabet noodles, cheese, and salt and pepper. Stir until cheese has melted through.
*If you can’t find alphabet noodles at your local grocery store, try online at Amazon:
Eden Organic Vegetable Alphabets, 16-Ounce Packages (Pack of 6)
Food and Whine 
where do you buy alphabet pasta, can’t seem to find them? Thankshave enjoyed your blog and found some great ideas for the little ones Thanks
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I found it at Safeway, it’s their ‘Eating Right’ brand. I’ve also seen Catelli alphabet noodles at Save-on-Foods. This is in Canada (Vancouver area), so it may be different where you live.
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It’s so funny that you should post this recipe! My grandmother just gave me a bunch of alphabet shaped pasta and I’ve been waiting for cooler weather to make some soup. I’ll try this recipe out this weekend.Thanks!Emiliewww.liveeatsmile.blogspot.com
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This was a hit! I hated canned alphaghetti, beefaroni etc growing up. A tangy taste that I couldn’t get past but this stuff was delish and all three kids gobbled it up! Plus we had fun finding letters. I omitted the sugar, the carrots gave it plenty of sweetness.
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If you made a big batch of this, would you freeze it (I fear soggy pasta letters 🙂 or can it to have for fututre lunches?Jenn
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Hmm, I don’t think I’ve tried freezing it yet. If I do I’ll let you know.
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This recipe was awesome – thank you for sharing it with us 🙂 My kids loved it. We had it for supper tonight with steamed brocoli and fresh bread… and a glass a wine fo the grown-ups.. it was delish!
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I made this for my 21 month old the other day & so far she’s devoured 2 full bowls each time she’s had it (but then again she does love pasta sauces & noodles, although never eats this much)! I think it’s pretty tasty too – and healthy! Since it’s pureed, I could probably sneak in other vegetable too, but she loves her veggies anyway so that’s not usually a problem!thanks for a great recipe that I know I’ll make again & again!
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That’s wonderful!
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I will be so happy if you reply to this.I live in Abbotsford and can’t find the noodles anywhere, and I’ve tried several pricesmarts and saveons (along with other grocers, but since seeing this comment I’ve been trying saveon and its sister stores). Would you mind telling me what locations you’ve seen it at? I know it’s two years later, but any help would be so good. I’m about to give in and use mini shells.
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Megan, I always refer to your blog for recipes for my family. I think everything I’ve ever tried has been a hit! Came across this alphagetti recipe the other night while meal planning. I thought maybe the kids would get a kick out of it and be more open to trying it because of the letters. My daughter isn’t really big on stews and soups and things but this was a hit with both her and my son! My husband and I both thought it was really yummy too! I’ll definitely be keeping this recipe around.
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What a nice comment, thank you so much!
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I’m teaching the students in my class that they can eat the things they like, but that there is a healthier way to do it. I’m just wondering how many serving this makes in order to ensure there is enough for everyone in my class. Thanks
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Oh gosh, it’s been so long since I’ve made this that I don’t remember exactly, but I’d say around 6 servings? Possibly more if they’re all kid-sized servings.
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Good day! Would you mind if I share your blog with my facebook
group? There’s a lot of folks that I thinjk would really
appreciate your content. Please let me know.
Thanks
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Sure Carin, thanks!
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