Beef & Veggie Bolognese Farfalle for Babies

Ingredients

• 250 g Ground Beef (Lean minced beef, broken into very small crumbles)
• 200 g Farfalle Pasta (Bow tie pasta, cooked until soft)
• 0.5 Onion (Finely diced)
• 1 cup Tomato Sauce (Homemade or low-sodium/no-salt-added version)
• 1 Fresh Tomato (Diced)
• 1 small Carrot (Grated or very finely diced)
• 0.5 small Courgette (Zucchini; grated or finely diced)
• 0.25 cup Broccoli (Florets only, very finely chopped)
• 0.25 cup Cauliflower (Florets only, very finely chopped)
• 0.5 cup Fresh Spinach (Finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil (For sautéing)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare all vegetables for the baby's safety. Finely dice the onion and tomato. Grate the carrot and courgette (zucchini). Finely chop the broccoli and cauliflower florets into tiny pieces. Finely chop the fresh spinach leaves.

2. 2

   Bring a pot of unsalted water to a boil. Add the farfalle pasta and cook until very tender, slightly past the 'al dente' stage, to ensure it is easy for the baby to chew and swallow. Drain and set aside.

3. 3

   Heat olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes until translucent and soft.

4. 4

   Add the ground beef to the pan. Use a wooden spoon to break the meat into very small, fine crumbles as it browns. Cook until no pink remains.

5. 5

   Stir in the grated carrot, courgette, chopped broccoli, and cauliflower. Sauté the vegetables with the meat for about 4-5 minutes until they begin to soften.

6. 6

   Add the diced fresh tomatoes and the homemade tomato sauce. Stir well to combine. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer for 10-15 minutes. This ensures all the vegetables are completely soft and the flavors are well-incorporated.

7. 7

   In the last 2 minutes of simmering, stir in the finely chopped spinach. Cook just until the spinach has wilted into the sauce.

8. 8

   Add the cooked farfalle pasta to the sauce. Toss thoroughly to ensure the pasta is well-coated. If the sauce is too thick, add a small splash of pasta water or low-sodium stock to reach the desired consistency.

9. 9

   Allow the meal to cool significantly before serving to the baby. For younger babies, you may want to cut the farfalle bows into halves or quarters.

Notes

Avoid adding salt to the recipe, as babies under 12 months should have minimal sodium intake. You can freeze individual portions of the sauce in silicone trays for quick future meals. The 'homemade tomato sauce' mentioned by the author is ideally made from blended steamed tomatoes without added salt or sugar.

Nutrition per serving

• blw
• baby food
• toddler meal
• high protein
• high fiber
• iron-rich
• dinner
• healthy