Veggie-Loaded Tomato Pasta (Print Version)

A flavorful tomato sauce enriched with puréed vegetables, ideal for elevating your pasta meals.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
02 - 1 small zucchini, chopped
03 - 1 red or orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
04 - 1 small onion, chopped
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 celery stalk, chopped

→ Tomato Base

07 - 2 cans (14 fl oz each) crushed tomatoes
08 - 2 tbsp tomato paste

→ Seasonings

09 - 1 tbsp olive oil
10 - 1 tsp dried oregano
11 - 1 tsp dried basil
12 - 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
13 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
14 - 1/2 tsp sugar (optional, to balance acidity)

→ Optional Add-ins

15 - Pinch of red pepper flakes
16 - Fresh basil, chopped, for garnish

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, zucchini, and bell pepper. Sauté for 8 to 10 minutes until vegetables soften.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
04 - Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt, black pepper, and sugar if using. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer.
05 - Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender.
06 - Remove from heat. Purée the sauce until completely smooth using an immersion blender or in batches with a countertop blender.
07 - Return sauce to low heat and simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.
08 - Serve the sauce hot over cooked pasta, garnished with fresh basil if desired.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • You get to pack an entire rainbow of vegetables into a sauce that tastes like comfort food
  • The texture becomes silky and luxurious, nothing like chunky vegetable sauces that turn people away
  • It freezes beautifully, so one afternoon of cooking becomes weeks of effortless meals
02 -
  • The immersion blender trick is what makes this sauce genius, because traditional chunky vegetable pasta sauce turns off picky eaters every time.
  • Letting the vegetables caramelize slightly before adding tomatoes creates depth that no amount of herbs can replicate later.
03 -
  • If you do not have an immersion blender, let the sauce cool slightly before blending in batches to avoid hot splatters.
  • Use a ladle to transfer hot sauce to a blender and never fill past the halfway mark.
Go Back