Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce
Servings: servings (or about 6 cups)
Make your next meal even more nutritious by serving up an extra dose of veggies in this hidden veggie pasta sauce! It looks and tastes just like regular marinara sauce, but it's loaded with a variety of vegetables for extra nutrients and fiber. Perfect for fussy eaters, but the whole family will love it too!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 2 large celery stalks, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 3/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth (vegetable or chicken)
- 1/2 cup canned low sodium white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes, drained (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste (optional) - I added about 1/4 teaspoon of each
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan, over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the remaining vegetables (celery, carrots, red pepper) and cook, covered, over medium-low heat for around 20 minutes. Continually check and stir the vegetables to ensure that the vegetables don't burn. They should be tender when pierced with a fork.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, broth, white beans, sun-dried tomatoes (if using) and basil. Stir until combined. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and allow to simmer for an additional 20 minutes.
- Allow to cool slightly and then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to do it in batches. Taste and season with salt and pepper, to taste (skip the salt if making for baby).
- Allow to fully cool before pouring the sauce into containers or mason jars for storing.
Notes
- The sun-dried tomatoes are optional, but highly recommended as they add the most delicious flavor to the sauce. If making this sauce just for baby, you may wish to skip them to reduce the overall sodium level of the sauce.
- If you prefer to not use the stove, you can also roast the vegetables with olive oil on a sheet pan in the oven until tender. Then transfer to a pot with the remaining ingredients, cook and blend!
- I like to make a big batch and freeze the extra for later!
Nutrition
Calories: 58kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 100mg | Potassium: 377mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1354IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg
