A super-easy and delicious red lentil bolognese recipe is a great way to include lentils in your baby's diet. Lentils are a great source of Iron, Protein, Zinc, Fibre, and B vitamins. This dish is suitable for babies when starting solids from around 6 months of age, and is great for the whole family so everyone is eating the same meal.
Facts
Using red lentils in bolognese can be a yummy alternative and a budget-friendly swap. Lentils are an excellent source of iron, protein, fibre, zinc, and B vitamins. I recommend buying red split lentils, as they cook quickly and do not need any pre-soaking, making them a perfect ingredient for a quick and healthy meal.
My kids love this recipe and it is on regular rotation in our house to increase plant food diversity, which is great for gut health.
I have used instant spaghetti with this dish which you can easily mash or puree to suit your baby's age and stage of development or leave in small soft pieces bite size pieces, which are great for hand scoping and self-feeding.
You can use this bolognese recipe on any shape of pasta.
Ingredients
1/2 a cup of dried red lentils
3 cups of water
1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves finely minced
2 cups (560g) of passata
1/2 cup of bone broth or water
1 zucchini grated
Cooked pasta
Method
Rinse the dry lentils under cold water, remove any discoloured ones, and add them to a large pot. Cover the lentils with the 3 cups of water and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and gently simmer until cooked, usually between (10-15 minutes). They will look soft and mushy.
Once cooked use a colander or sieve and drain the lentils so all the water is removed, and set the cooked lentils aside.
In the same pan add the olive oil, garlic and zucchini and gently fry until they begin to soften (not turn brown)
Then add the passata and the bone broth (or water), bring to a gentle boil, then turn down the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Add the red lentils to the sauce and simmer for another 5 minutes until the bolognese sauce is thickened.
Add the bolognese to your cooked pasta
x Anna
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