A delicious and simple recipe for hidden veg pasta sauce that is easy to adapt to use whatever vegetables you have available. Blended to a smooth consistency it's perfect for picky eaters.
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This is perhaps the recipe that has saved my sanity when it comes to getting my children to eat vegetables. There is no chance that mixing chopped vegetables in with pasta will work.
Have you ever watched an 18-month-old picking every last piece of vegetable off of a single piece of pasta before eating it? Well I have, and it's painful.
We did go through a period with R when he wouldn't eat sauce and so this didn't work but thankfully we're over that stage now and baby R either has skipped it or hasn't hit it yet *keeps fingers crossed it's the former*.
This hidden veg pasta sauce is so versatile
What I like about this sauce is that you can add pretty much anything - although I tend to stick with yellow, red and orange vegetables because green bits cause a drama at the dinner table in this house - and you can use it with many different things.
Most commonly it's been used as a pasta sauce (and although it pains me to say it Bob the Builder pasta is worth every single last penny), but we often mix in sausages or use it as a pizza topping instead of normal tomato sauce.
This is a really simple recipe
The recipe I've included below is a basic recipe but it's up to you what you add in.
- Butternut squash always goes down well.
- Sweet potato is good but does change the texture.
- Aubergine and courgettes (zucchini) are also good but unless you peel them (and therefore lose some of the nutrients) you'll still be able to see flecks of purple or green in the blended sauce. I've got around this before by saying that it's herbs!
I've been experimenting recently with leaving the sauce a little lumpier - even occasionally with the odd bit of chopped veg in it and it seems to be going down ok. For now...
Can this hidden veg sauce be frozen?
Definitely. Once you have blended the sauce allow to cool completely then transfer to a freezer bag or box and place in the freezer.
Be sure to label your container before freezing.
If you have a baby or toddler you may like to freeze this sauce in ice cube trays so you have small portions available to add to your meals.
What ingredients do you need to make this sauce?
You will need the following ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion
- 2 small carrots
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 red or yellow pepper
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano or mixed herbs
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar or sugar
- splash lemon juice
Do you need any special equipment to make this sauce?
You will need a blender. I use a jug blender* but you could use a hand held blender* instead. Your sauce won’t be quite as smooth but it will still be delicious.
More recipes you might like
If you like this you might also like:
- Ultimate sneaky veg sauce recipe
- Easy fresh tomato sauce
- Roasted carrot sauce for pasta
- Roasted butternut squash sauce
- Cauliflower sauce
Pin hidden veg pasta sauce for later
How to make hidden veg pasta sauce:
If you have made this recipe I would love it if you’d leave a comment and rating below. Thank you!
Hidden veg pasta sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 small carrots chopped (or you can use pre-cooked carrots and add them at the end)
- 1 clove of garlic finely chopped
- 1 red or yellow pepper finely chopped
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano or mixed herbs
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar or sugar
- splash lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the onions and carrot, stir well then cover the pan and cook for 5-10 minutes over a low heat until soft. Stir often.
- Add the garlic, stir and cook for a further minute.
- Add the peppers, cover and continue cooking on a low heat for 5-10 minutes until starting to soften.
- Remove the lid and add the remaining ingredients. Stir well. Bring to the boil then turn the heat down and cook gently until all the vegetables are soft.
- Purée into a smooth sauce.
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lizzie
LOVE the sound of this recipe. Its great to find a pasta sauce thats full of veg to not actually taste full of veg ? Trying it for my little one this week! xx
Mandy Mazliah
Thanks so much for commenting Lizzie. I hope your little one loves it!
Michelle
Hi. This looks like a great idea for my super picky 3 year old. Can you freeze this sauce?
Mandy Mazliah
Hi Michelle - absolutely - I usually have some in the freezer.
M-R
What a little ripper !!!! 😀
Emily @amummytoo
Yay, we do this quite often too. Great way to get extra veg into them 🙂
Thanks for linking up to #recipeoftheweek. I've Pinned and Stumbled this post, and there's a new #recipeoftheweek linky just gone live. I'd love you to pop over and join in again with another fab recipe post 🙂
Natalie | One Busy WAHM
Oh I am all for sneaking in a few hidden vegetables!
Mandy
Thanks for commenting - needs must with sneaking the veg in, right?!
oana79
Good idea, might give it a go as my four-year old is still very picky with her veggies(she will eat them only in soup!)
Mandy
I wish mine would eat soup! Planning to try again this winter. What soup goes down well?
Nutritious Deliciousness
Every sauce I make for my 3 year old is a hidden veg sauce haha, she is just starting to pick actual veg off my plate to try, there's hope 🙂
Mandy
Wow - I live in hope of that happening to us! Thanks for commenting 🙂
Alison
Would work well with pasta and mince. great idea
Angie (@cakesphotoslife)
sounds amazing xxx
ferreroroche123
This sounds pretty tasty!