Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce
This Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce is super healthy and really tasty! It's a great way to sneak vegetables into picky eaters! Ready in just 35 minutes, its perfect for busy weeknights or why not make a large batch to freeze?
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 29kcal
Ingredients
- 800 g (28 ox) Chopped tomatoes 2 tins
- 1 medium Carrot
- ½ Red pepper
- 100 g (1 cup) Closed cup mushrooms
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 1 medium Red Onion
- 1 teaspoon Dried basil
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- Salt & Black pepper to season
Instructions
- Grate the carrot. Chop the mushrooms, carrot, red pepper, red onion and garlic.
- Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the onion and sweat on a low heat for 5-6 minutes.
- Add the carrot, red pepper, garlic and mushrooms to the pan, stir and cook for 4-5 minutes until soft.
- Pour the chopped tomatoes to the saucepan, add the dried basil and oregano and simmer on a low heat for 10-15 minutes.
- Blend the mixture using a stick blender until smooth.
- Season to taste.
Notes
Top Tips
* Adjust Thickness: If the sauce is too thick, you can thin it out with a bit of vegetable stock or water before blending again until you reach a consistency you are happy with.
* Quality Tomatoes: Use the best quality tinned tomatoes you can find for a richer flavour.
* Roast for Depth: Roast some of the vegetables like the peppers and onions with some olive oil in the oven before adding them to the sauce for a more intense flavour.
* Batch Cooking: Double the recipe and freeze portions in freezer bags or ice cube trays for quick meals.
* Blending: Use a stick blender for a smoother texture that hides the vegetables well.
* Fresh Herbs: A handful of fresh basil is delicious torn into small pieces and stirred through the sauce just before serving.
Variations
- Mix Up The Veg - This recipe is so versatile, simply add in whatever vegetables you have in the fridge, courgette, butternut squash and celery work really well.
- Spice It Up!- If you aren’t cooking for little ones or like a bit of heat, sprinkle some chilli flakes into the sauce whilst cooking or add a freshly chopped red chilli when adding the rest of the vegetables.
- Roast! For a more intense flavour, roast some pepper, courgette and onion in the oven sprinkled with the herbs and olive oil for 30 minutes, then add to the saucepan with the tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients and simmer for a further 10 minutes.
- Slow Cooker - You can also make this sauce in the slow cooker, simply throw all the ingredients in and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours, then remove from the slow cooker and blend to a smooth consistency.
Nutrition
Calories: 29kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 94mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1280IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.3mg
