Carrot Puree (Passato di Carote)
From 6 months
Prep 20 minCook 17 min
First tastesBatch-friendlyFreezes well
No major allergens
You need:potsteamer basketblender
From 6 months
No major allergens
You need:potsteamer basketblender
Offer a very smooth, single-ingredient puree, loosened with a little cooled cooking water or unsalted broth so it runs slowly off the spoon. Start with a teaspoon once a day and follow your baby's pace. Begin only once your baby shows clear readiness signs (good head and neck control, able to sit with support, showing interest in food, and no longer pushing food out with the tongue). Introduce one new food at a time, a few days apart, so any reaction is easy to spot.
Blend completely smooth with no lumps or fibres. Loosen well so it drips slowly off the spoon rather than sitting in a thick clump.
Mash rather than blend, leaving a soft, easily squashable texture. You can also offer well-cooked carrot cut lengthwise into batons for supervised self-feeding, instead of puree.
Serve as a chunkier mash or as soft-cooked carrot pieces cut into strips, never into round coins, so they stay safe if bitten off whole.
Fridge for 3 days in a sealed container. Freeze in ice-cube trays or small pots for up to 3 months; defrost fully in the fridge, reheat until piping hot, then cool before serving.
Toss extra cooked carrot in olive oil with a pinch of salt and black pepper for a quick adult side, or fold a spoonful of the unsalted puree into the family's soup as a natural thickener before seasoning.
Carrot is a classic choking hazard raw, and can still catch even when cooked if left in coin-shaped rounds. Always cook until soft and cut lengthwise into strips, never rounds, for any piece served whole. This is a well-tolerated first food and there is no reason to delay it. Serve seated upright at the table, actively supervised and free of distractions; remember that safe preparation, not supervision, is the primary safeguard. Complementary feeding begins at 6 months, the age recommended by Italian (Ministero della Salute, SIP) and WHO guidance. Start only when your baby is showing clear readiness signs, following official Italian guidance.
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