Beef bolognese
A family pasta sauce of finely broken-up beef, grated carrot and zucchini and no-salt-added tomatoes. Served with wheat pasta: offer it once your baby has had wheat on its own.
- From
- 6 months
- Time
- 55 min
- Makes
- 2 adults and 1 baby, with leftover sauce
Contains wheat
Ingredients
- 400 g (14 oz)lean ground (minced) beef
- 1onionfinely chopped
- 1 mediumcarrot
- 1 smallzucchini (courgette)
- 1 can (400 g / 14 oz)chopped tomatoesno salt added
- 1 tbsptomato paste (purée)check the label for no added salt
- 100 ml (scant ½ cup)water
- 1 clovegarlicfinely minced, optional
- 1 tspdried oregano or basiloptional
- 1 tbspolive or vegetable oil
- 250 g (9 oz)dried wheat pastaplain wheat pasta with no egg (check the label); large shapes such as fusilli or penne for the baby
Steps
- 1Wash your hands. Rinse and peel the onion, then chop it finely. Scrub the carrot under running water, peel it and grate it finely. Rinse the zucchini, trim the ends and grate it.
- 2Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-low heat and cook the onion gently for about 10 minutes, until very soft and see-through. Add the garlic for the last minute.
- 3Add the beef and cook it, breaking it up into small crumbs with a wooden spoon, until no pink is left, about 5 to 8 minutes. There's no need to rinse raw beef; wash your hands, board and spoon after handling it.
- 4Stir in the carrot, zucchini, tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs and water. Simmer, partly covered, for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until the vegetables are very soft and the sauce is thick. The beef should reach 160°F (71°C): check with a food thermometer. Don't add salt.
- 5Meanwhile, boil the pasta in plenty of unsalted water for a few minutes longer than the package says, until a piece squashes easily between your fingers. Drain it.
- 6Take your baby's portion of sauce and pasta out now, before any salt, cheese or seasoning goes in. For young babies, blend or mash the sauce so the beef is finely minced and moist. Spread it in a shallow bowl to cool, stir, and check it's only just warm before serving.
How to serve it by age
6 months+
Once your baby has had wheat on its own without a reaction, offer a few large, very soft pasta shapes coated in sauce to grab. Or serve the blended sauce on a pre-loaded spoon, or stirred into mashed potato.
9 months+
Cut the pasta into pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or use small shapes, and stir in the sauce so the beef stays moist and fine.
12 months+
Serve the family meal from the unsalted pot, with pasta in small shapes or pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch). Cut spaghetti and other long strands into short lengths. Salt and cheese go on the adults' plates only.
Where US and UK guidance differ on this recipe
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
The AAP says fresh baby food should be cooked with no added salt or seasoning, and doesn't give an age for herbs or garlic. If you'd rather follow that closely, leave out the garlic and herbs, or ask your pediatrician.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
The NHS says not to add salt, stock cubes or gravy to your baby's food or cooking water. Its general salt advice suggests herbs, spices and garlic to add flavor instead of salt, and its beef bolognese recipe for babies aged 10 to 12 months uses basil.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
If your baby reacts
This recipe contains wheat. Introduce one new allergen at a time, mixed into a food your baby already eats, before serving it in a dish with other new foods. Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if you notice mild signs after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.
Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.
Leftovers and the rest of the family
Storing it
Cool leftover sauce quickly in shallow containers and keep it covered in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze it in small portions for 2 to 3 months. Cooked pasta keeps for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat only the portion of sauce you need, and only once, until it reaches a rolling boil or 165°F (74°C), then let it cool before serving. Throw away anything left in your baby's bowl, and any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).
For the grown-ups
Take your baby's portion out first, then season the rest of the sauce with salt and black pepper, and add grated Parmesan at the table for the adults. Spaghetti works for the adults; keep large shapes for the baby.
Foods in this recipe
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