Veggie Loaded Tomato Sauce (Printable)

Rich tomato sauce blended with puréed veggies for a flavorful, nutrient-packed pasta addition.

# 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 oz each) crushed tomatoes
08 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste

→ Seasonings

09 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
10 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
11 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
12 - ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
13 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
14 - ½ teaspoon sugar, optional

→ Optional Add-ins

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

# How to Make It:

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 softened.
02 - Incorporate minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in tomato paste and cook for an additional 1 minute to deepen flavor.
04 - Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt, black pepper, and optional sugar. Stir and bring the 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 sauce until smooth using an immersion blender or countertop blender in batches.
07 - Return blended sauce to low heat and simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes, adjust seasoning if necessary.
08 - Serve hot over pasta, garnished with fresh basil if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It hides vegetables so smoothly that even the pickiest eaters won't notice they're eating a full serving of produce.
  • The whole thing comes together in under an hour, and tastes like you've been cooking for three times longer.
  • You can freeze it for months, which means there's always a weeknight dinner waiting in your freezer.
02 -
  • Don't skip the initial sauté of the vegetables—that's where flavor develops, not during the simmer.
  • The immersion blender must break down every speck of vegetable, or you'll taste grainy texture instead of sauce.
  • Taste and adjust salt after blending, because the flavors concentrate and intensify as they smooth out.
03 -
  • Keep your immersion blender in the warm sauce while you're not actively blending to keep it from cooling and becoming harder to smooth.
  • If the sauce seems too thick after blending, thin it with pasta water instead of plain water—the starch helps it cling to the noodles.
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