Easy Hidden Veggie-Loaded Pasta Sauce

This hidden veggie-loaded pasta sauce is a fantastic way to use up the vegetables sitting in your produce bins. It’s also great way to sneak in extra nutrients for kids, or anyone who might be forgetting to eat their vegetables. It happens!

Why I Love This Sauce

It can be made with just about any vegetable you have on hand. It also tastes just like traditional spaghetti sauce. You really can’t tell the difference thanks to the tomato paste. Tomatoes, like many other fruits, contain citric and malic acids that can mask the flavor of just about any vegetable.

This sauce also makes a great base for many different recipes. With just a simple tweak to the ingredients you can use this sauce to make:

• Pizza sauce
• Spanish rice
• Sloppy Joes
• Cocktail sauce
• Tomato Soup
• Vinaigrette

There are so many possibilities for this loaded veggie pasta sauce. Use it to make your favorite tomato based pasta dishes, flavorful soups and so much more. It’s a brilliant way to sneak in an abundance of nutrients without skimping on the traditional flavor we love. It’s easy to make, takes only a bit of prep and it freezes so nicely.

Freezing Is Simple

I like to make two batches of this sauce. The first batch goes directly into a freezer-safe container. Then, I like to portion the second batch for easy lunches like Hawaiian pizza sliders. Simply place silicone soup molds on a sheet-pan, and freeze them for one hour. Once solid, transfer to a freezer safe bag or container and date. It’s so easy!

This method is really great if you have an abundance of tomatoes from your garden, and your tired of making salsa. Simply swap the canned tomatoes for fresh. Not only will you have a delicious kitchen staple, but no tomatoes will go to waste.

How To Make Hidden Veggie-Loaded Pasta Sauce

The process to make this sauce could not be easier, unless of course you have a vegetable chopper. Then it could be a whole lot easier. Otherwise, dice all of your vegetables very fine. Then cook them down over medium-high heat for five to ten minutes stirring often until soft. They should still be a bit firm, and not mushy.

Once the vegetables are tender, add in the diced tomatoes with the juice, or fresh tomatoes along with the tomato paste. Add water and blend with an immersion blender or transfer to a heat proof blender. Once the sauce is smooth, transfer it back into the pot and cook covered on low for one hour or more. Just like traditional marinara, the longer it cooks, the more developed the flavor becomes.

Alternative Method

The Ninja Foodi Heat-IQ Blender makes this sauce even easier to make. You can cook, blend and pour the sauce without dirtying a pot or utensils. Check out this review to see everything I love about this self-cleaning blender.

I’ve included the first recipe I created below with exact amounts. However, this is truly one of those sauces that doesn’t require exact ingredients. You can also alter this recipe to fit what you have on hand, or even omit an ingredient like, let’s just say the onion.

How To Season Hidden-Veggie Pasta Sauce

This version of loaded veggie pasta sauce includes Italian seasoning for a traditional taste, but the seasoning you use is up to you. If you’re using this as a base for a different recipe or even multiple recipes, I would stick to just adding salt, and sugar if you prefer a sweeter sauce.

I hope this recipe helps you get your veggies in. If you love it, let me know in the comments!