Hidden Veggie Tomato Pasta Sauce (Printer-friendly)

A savory tomato sauce enriched with pureed carrots, zucchini, and spinach. Smooth, delicious, and packed with vegetables.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
02 - 1 medium zucchini, chopped
03 - 2 cups fresh spinach, washed and roughly chopped
04 - 1 medium onion, chopped
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Sauce Base

06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
07 - 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
08 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste

→ Seasonings

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

→ Optional

14 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
15 - Fresh basil, for garnish

# Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, sauté until softened, about 3 minutes.
02 - Add carrots and zucchini. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften.
03 - Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes.
04 - Add crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir to combine.
05 - Season with oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and sugar if using. Bring to a simmer.
06 - Cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all vegetables are very tender.
07 - Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Using an immersion blender (or transfer to a blender in batches), puree the sauce until smooth.
08 - Return to heat if needed, adjust seasoning, and stir in Parmesan if desired. Serve hot over your favorite pasta, garnished with fresh basil.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It hides a full serving of vegetables in every spoonful without anyone noticing.
  • The sauce tastes richer and sweeter than plain tomato sauce, with no weird texture.
  • It freezes beautifully, so you can make a big batch and forget about dinner on busy nights.
  • Even adults who claim they dont like zucchini will happily eat this.
02 -
  • Let the sauce cool slightly before blending or it will splatter everywhere and burn you.
  • Don't skip the simmering time, the vegetables need those twenty minutes to get soft enough to puree smoothly.
  • If the sauce tastes too acidic, that pinch of sugar will fix it instantly.
03 -
  • Chop the vegetables roughly, they're getting pureed anyway so perfection doesn't matter.
  • Use an immersion blender if you have one, it saves you from transferring hot sauce to another container.
  • Taste the sauce after blending and before serving, sometimes it needs a little more salt or a drizzle of olive oil to bring it together.
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