Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce
No need to be intimidated by homemade veggie pasta sauce! This recipe is filled with hidden vegetables, flavor and is so easy to make. This pasta sauce is freezer friendly and totally kid approved.
I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to share this recipe, it’s been a staple of mine for years! I’m pasta obsessed as you know, and this vegan pasta sauce is so easy to make and better than any store bought brand!
Plus, there’s over five vegetables blended right into the sauce, so it’s perfect for picky kids or adults who just don’t like to eat vegetables.
This homemade tomato based recipe takes about 30 minutes to make, but most of the time it’s just simmering or sauteing, so it doesn’t require much work on your part. If you love this recipe, try my vodka sauce or roasted carrot pasta next!
Before we get started…
- Most tomato based sauces are going to be vegan. Some more cream based sauces will contain dairy, but you can save yourself the worry and make it from scratch. This recipe does call for parmesan, but you can either omit it or sub for my vegan cashew parmesan.
- This is a very forgiving recipe, so feel free to swap in or out other veggies you like!
How to make veggie pasta sauce
Dice the onion and add to a pot with the olive oil. Saute for 5-10 minutes or until golden.
Add the minced garlic, diced celery and carrot. Saute an additional 10 or so minutes.
Add in the diced bell pepper and zucchini and saute for 5 minutes. Add in the red wine if using and let simmer until the liquid has evaporated.
Finally, add in all remaining ingredients. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
Carefully transfer to a blender (mine is 64 ounces and can hold everything, but you may need to do this in two batches). Blend until completely smooth.
When blending hot liquids, it helps to start the blender on the lowest possible setting and slowly work up, keeping the center part of the lid slightly ajar so heat can escape.
Taste and adjust flavors as desired. I like a little extra red pepper flakes and salt.
Serve with your favorite pasta or let cool and transfer to a jar and store in the fridge or freezer.
Key ingredients
Tomatoes. Fresh tomatoes and a can of fire roasted tomatoes keep the flavor well balanced! If you can’t find fire roasted tomatoes, regular will do, but I suggest adding some more red pepper flakes to enhance the flavor.
Onion & garlic. One large onion will create a lot of flavor for this vegan pasta sauce. You can use white or yellow.
Vegetables. Carrots, bell pepper, zucchini and celery make up the base of this recipe. I suggest using what I have listed for best results, but you can swap other vegetables in an out as desired.
Some other options include other colored bell peppers, yellow squash, or cauliflower.
Spices. We’ll be using an Italian seasoning blend which is a mix of basil, oregano, thyme, garlic etc. I also love to add fresh basil, but it’s not necessary!
Red Wine. This is optional, you can easily make this sauce without, but it really enhances the flavor. The alcohol will all cook off, but just leave it out if you prefer cooking without wine.
How to store and freeze
Once prepared, this veggie pasta sauce will keep in the fridge for about 3-5 days. You can store the pasta and the sauce together or separately.
This sauce can be frozen! I suggest freezing it before you combine it with any pasta, but if you have already mixed the pasta with the sauce, you can definitely freeze it all together.
Keep in mind that gluten free pasta won’t hold up as well as regular. It will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
How do I make a creamy sauce?
If you want to make this more of a creamy tomato sauce, you can blend in 1/2 cup of soaked, then drained and rinsed cashews right into the sauce.
It will be creamier and thicker than the original recipe, but will add a nice rich flavor that I love. Another option is to add in 1 cup of cauliflower florets when you add the tomatoes, let that simmer until fork tender, then blend as usual!
This will add more veggies, and the cauliflower will yield a super creamy auce.
More recipes for the pasta lover!
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Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce
by: claire cary
No need to be intimidated by homemade vegan pasta sauce! This recipe is filled with hidden vegetables, flavor and is so easy to make. It's freezer friendly and totally kid approved.
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8
Instructions
Dice the onion and add to a pot with the olive oil. Saute for 5 minutes or until golden.
Add the minced garlic, diced celery and carrot. Saute an additional 5 or so minutes.
Add in the diced bell pepper and zucchini and saute for 5 minutes.
Add in the red wine if using and let simmer until the liquid has evaporated.
Add in all remaining ingredients (aside from the basil and parmesan if using). Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
- Carefully transfer to a blender with the basil (mine is 64 ounces and can hold everything, but you may need to do this in two batches). You can also use an immersion blender.
Blend until completely smooth. When blending hot liquids, it helps to start the blender on the lowest possible setting and slowly work up, keeping the center part of the lid slightly ajar so heat can escape.
Taste and adjust flavors as desired, then stir in the parmesan and basil.
Serve with your favorite pasta or let cool and transfer to a jar and store in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
If you want to make this more of a creamy tomato sauce, you can blend in 1/2 cup of soaked, then drained and rinsed cashews right into the sauce. You may need to add in a bit of vegetable broth to thin it out.
Serving: 0.5cup / Calories: 111kcal / Carbohydrates: 8g / Protein: 1g / Fat: 7g / Saturated Fat: 1g / Fiber: 2g / Sugar: 4g