This Hidden Veg Pasta Sauce is an easy and delicious way to boost your family’s vegetable intake. Packed with a medley of fresh, nourishing vegetables, this thick and flavourful veggie pasta sauce is perfect over any pasta. It’s naturally gluten-free, additive-free and easily made with no added salt or sugar for babies and toddlers. Perfect for meal prep, you can make a big batch and freeze it for a quick, kid-approved dinner.
Why you’ll love this veggie pasta sauce
Whether you have picky eaters or not, this hidden vegetable pasta sauce is a great family essential. It’s packed with vegetables but is smooth and thick and tastes like a rich tomato pasta sauce. It’s kid-approved and is sure to please the fussy eaters!
This Hidden Veg Pasta Sauce is super versatile. Use this veggie sauce for pasta meals, to use as pizza sauce, topping for chicken parmigiana, or any other meal needing a tomato-based sauce.
Plus, it’s freezer-friendly and perfect for meal prepping. We all reach for a jar of pre-made sauce from time to time for its simple convenience, but why not have this prepped and ready to go instead!
Ingredients in Hidden Veg Pasta Sauce
Just fresh vegetables and a couple of pantry items are needed for this vegetarian pasta sauce:
Onion – Use brown/yellow onion.
Garlic – Substitute the garlic cloves for 2 tsp minced garlic if needed.
Carrot, celery, sweet potato and zucchini – For the flavour base and to get more veggies in!
Capsicum/bell pepper – Use red bell pepper/capsicum for the sweetness and colour.
Mushrooms – Button mushrooms add a nice savoury flavour to the sauce.
Oregano – Use fresh oregano if you can. Fresh thyme or basil are good substitutes.
Tinned tomatoes – I normally use the Ardmona brand of diced tomatoes, which have no added salt or sugar. Check the ingredients listed on the tin, and adjust seasoning as necessary.
Olive oil – For sautéing the vegetables.
Brown sugar – This is optional, but just a small amount brings out the flavour of the tomatoes and other vegetables.
Salt (optional) and pepper – Leave out the salt if serving to family under 12 months of age.
Pasta – Whatever variety is your favorite pasta (not pictured below).
How to make Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce
This vegetable sauce is easy to make and comes together in about 40 minutes – most of that’s simmer time! Here’s a summary.
Scroll down to the recipe card below, to find exact ingredient amounts and full detailed steps for both regular and thermo cooker methods.
Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, carrot and celery.
Step 2: Add the remaining ingredients (except the oregano). Bring to the boil and then simmer for 25 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. You may need to adjust the cooking time, depending on how large your vegetable pieces are.
Step 3: Add the oregano.
Step 4: Transfer to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
Thermomixer? This is an easy veggie pasta sauce to make in your machine. Start by chopping the garlic, onion, carrot and celery. Sauté these and then add the other vegetables. Chop again and add the remaining ingredients (except the oregano). Cook for 15 minutes, add the herbs and then blend.
Hidden Veg Pasta Sauce for babies and toddlers
This Hidden Veg Pasta Sauce recipe is perfect for babies, toddlers and the rest of the family too. It’s easily adapted to have no sugar or salt for baby but is flavourful enough to satisfy everyone’s tastes.
This veggie-loaded sauce boosts the nutritional value of a pasta meal. It’s blended, so an easy way to sneak more vegetables into baby or toddler diets. Or older children and adults for that matter!
For babies and toddlers, serve over small pasta shapes for easier eating. Or check out the other serving suggestions below – this vegetable pasta sauce recipe is for one of those versatile sauces you’ll make again and again!
Serving
Serve this Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce over your favourite pasta for an easy family dinner. You can also use this sauce:
- For vegetarian lasagna.
- As pizza sauce.
- As topping for chicken parmigiana.
- For any other meal needing a simple tomato-based sauce.
PORTIONING: This batch of sauce makes 4 cups. I find that 2 cups of sauce over 300g of uncooked pasta is generally enough for our family of four. I store the extra sauce for future meals.
Making ahead, storing and reheating
MAKING AHEAD: This is a fantastic make-ahead pasta sauce. Just make and store the sauce on its own (without pasta) either in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to use it.
STORING: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
Alternatively, freeze for up to 3 months. I like to portion it out when freezing, for pasta meals as well as pizza sauce. You can use ice cube trays for freezing little portions, so it’s easy to defrost what you need.
REHEATING: Allow the sauce to defrost overnight in the fridge. From chilled, reheat the sauce gently on the stovetop, stirring frequently.
Looking for more vegetable-based pasta sauces? Try this butternut squash pasta sauce. It’s a creamy, comforting pasta (without the cream!) and another kid friendly dinner. Or, for a green option, this fresh spinach pasta is a great choice!
And of course, can you ever go wrong with a great Spaghetti Bolognese recipe? This one sneaks in more vegetables too 😊.
If you make this Hidden Veg Pasta Sauce please leave a 🌟 star rating and a 📝 comment below. I love hearing how my recipes work for you and your family! Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest too for more family-friendly dinner recipes.
Happy cooking,
Chloe x
Hidden Veg Pasta Sauce
Category: Family MainsIngredients
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 brown/yellow onion finely chopped (Thermomixers: peeled, quartered)
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped or minced (Thermomixers: peeled, whole)
- 1 carrot finely chopped (Thermomixers: roughly chopped)
- 1 celery stalk finely chopped (Thermomixers: roughly chopped)
- 1 zucchini roughly chopped (180g/6oz)
- 3 button mushrooms halved (75g/2-3oz)
- 1 red capsicum/bell pepper de-seeded and roughly chopped (150g/5oz)
- 100 g sweet potato peeled and diced small
- 1 400g/ 14oz can diced tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp brown sugar optional
- 1 tbs tomato paste
- 1/4 tsp salt for family over 12 months
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 3 sprigs fresh oregano leaves only
- 300-600 g pasta of choice (Note 1)
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a large saucepan. Add 1 brown/yellow onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 carrot and 1 celery stalk. Sauté for 5 minutes or until onion is translucent.
- Add 1 zucchini, 3 button mushrooms, 1 red capsicum/bell pepper, 100 g sweet potato, 1 400g/ 14oz can diced tomatoes, 1/2 tsp brown sugar, 1 tbs tomato paste, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp ground black pepper. Bring to the boil, and then let simmer for 25 minutes until vegetables are soft.
- Add 3 sprigs fresh oregano.
- Transfer sauce mixture to a food processor or blender, or use an immersion blender. Carefully blend until smooth.
Thermomix Instructions
- Put 1 brown/yellow onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 carrot and 1 celery stalk into the mixing bowl. Chop for 3 seconds, speed 7, MC on. Scrape down the mixing bowl.
- Add 1 tbs olive oil. Cook for 5 minutes, 100°C, speed 1, MC off.
- Add 1 zucchini, 3 button mushrooms, 1 red capsicum/bell pepper and 100 g sweet potato. Chop for 5 seconds, speed 7, MC on. Scrape down the mixing bowl. If any large vegetable pieces remain, repeat this step.
- Add 1 400g/ 14oz can diced tomatoes, 1/2 tsp brown sugar, 1 tbs tomato paste, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp ground black pepper. Cook 15 minutes, 100°C, speed 1, MC off. Put the simmering basket on the lid to prevent splatter.
- Add 3 sprigs fresh oregano. Blend for 1 minute, speed 7, MC on, increasing the speed gradually.
One Response
This sauce is still a regular on my meal prep list! Tasty, easy and great for freezing.