By blending all your chosen vegetables into a creamy pasta sauce, your kids end up eating their greens and be none the wiser, all while enjoying one of their favourite dishes – which can often be pasta or pizza.
Our kids pasta sauce has fresh herbs, using basil, mint and oregano leaves to make it aromatic and full of flavor. We’ve chosen to add carrots, courgettes, leek and spinach as our ‘hidden veggies’ but you can add whichever vegetables you like.
Time: 35 minutes
Ages: Toddlers to Teens
Difficulty: Easy peasy
Makes: 1 jar tomato sauce (serves 4)
How to make tomato vegetable sauce?
This kids pasta sauce is easy to make and it can all be done in one saucepan.
We have chosen to add the ingredients to the pan in stages, so that the flavours of each one are released. First we put the onion and garlic in for a few minutes. Then we add in the fresh herbs and let them cook for a moment letting those aromatic smells take over the kitchen.
Finally we add in the chopped vegetables: the carrot, courgette, leek and spinach. And also the canned tomatoes and honey. We blend it all together with a hand blender or in a processor to make it nice and smooth.
Can you freeze tomato sauce?
Yes, place this sauce in an airtight container and it can be frozen for up to 3 months.
If you’re thinking of freezing ahead then we recommend making a larger batch and freezing it in smaller portions. That way you have an instant homemade pasta sauce packed full of veggies for last minute family meals.
Alternatively the sauce also stores well in the fridge for 2-3 days, again in airtight containers.
Is this tomato vegetable sauce vegan?
This hidden vegetable sauce has no dairy in it so it can be enjoyed by vegans also. We would however recommend swapping the honey for 1.5 teaspoons maple syrup. The honey or maple syrup is just to take the edge off of some of the bitterness of the tomatoes.
The sauce is also gluten free and packed full of goodness from all the fresh veggies you’ve managed to sneak in there.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion – diced
- 2 garlic cloves – minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves
- ½ tbsp fresh oregano leaves
- 1 courgette – peeled and chopped
- 1 carrot – peeled and chopped
- 1 leek – white part peeled and chopped
- 20 grams spinach – washed
- 2 x 400 grams cans chopped tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Take a medium sized saucepan and heat your 3 tablespoons of olive oil over a low heat.
- Add your diced onion and minced garlic cloves. Cook for a few minutes until the onions soften and turn slightly yellow.
- Add in your fresh herbs: your basil, mint and oregano. Cook for another few minutes on a low heat to release the flavours.
- Add your chopped leek, courgette and carrot as well as your spinach. Heat for a little longer, letting it all sweat for about 5 minutes.
- Add in your 2 cans of chopped tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Partially cover and simmer for 20 minutes, adding more water if you need to in order to keep it at your desired consistency.
- We recommend keeping this vegetable sauce creamy but runny if being served with pasta. If it’s being used as tomato sauce for pizza bases, then make it a little thicker and more paste-like.
- When it’s finished cooking, blend your sauce until smooth using a handheld blender or by pouring it into a food processor.
- Serve it up with some yummy pasta, or smooth it over a pizza base with a spoon. Top with grated cheese and enjoy!
You can freeze this hidden veggie pasta sauce in individual portion sizes so that you can whip it out for last minute meals.
Hidden vegetable pasta sauce – our step by step guide:
Sautee the onions and garlic
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan.
When it’s hot add in your diced onion and minced garlic cloves.
Cook for 2-3 minutes until soft and slightly yellow.
Add in your herbs
Have your fresh basil, mint and oregano leaves ready.
Pop them in with your garlic and onions and cook for a few minutes. You might start smelling the aromas of the herbs that will start to come through.
Add your vegetables
Put in your chopped leek, peeled and chopped courgette and carrot. Add your spinach too.
Stir and cook for a further few minutes to let it sweat.
Add your tomatoes
Finally pour in your canned tomatoes from 2 x 400 gram cans.
Add a teaspoon of honey and one of salt.
Partially cover and let it all simmer for 20 minutes. You can add more water if needed to keep it liquid enough.
Blend your tomato vegetable sauce
Using a handheld blender or food processor, blend the soup until it’s smooth.
If it’s too thick you can add some more water to it. For pastas we like a sauce that’s liquid but also creamy.
For pizza bases we like the sauce to be thicker and more like paste.
Serve it up
Enjoy this hidden veggie pasta sauce with their favourite pasta and with some grated cheese.
Truly delicious AND nutritious!
Hidden vegetable pasta sauce
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp fresh basil leaves
- 1 tbsp fresh mint leaves
- ½ tbsp fresh oregano leaves
- 1 courgette medium, peeled and chopped
- 1 carrot medium, peeled and chopped
- 1 leek white part chopped
- 20 grams spinach leaves
- 2 400 grams chopped tomatoes canned
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
-
Take a medium sized saucepan and heat your 3 tablespoons of olive oil over a low heat.
-
Add your diced onion and minced garlic cloves. Cook for a few minutes until the onions soften and turn slightly yellow.
-
Add in your fresh herbs: your basil, mint and oregano. Cook for another few minutes on a low heat to release the flavours.
-
Add your chopped leek, courgette and carrot as well as your spinach. Heat for a little longer, letting it all sweat for about 5 minutes.
-
Add in your 2 cans of chopped tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of salt.
-
Partially cover and simmer for 20 minutes, adding more water if you need to in order to keep it at your desired consistency.
-
We recommend keeping this vegetable sauce creamy but runny if being served with pasta. If it’s being used as tomato sauce for pizza bases, then make it a little thicker and more paste-like.
-
When it’s finished cooking, blend your sauce until smooth using a handheld blender or by pouring it into a food processor.
-
Serve it up with some yummy pasta, or smooth it over a pizza base with a spoon. Top with grated cheese and enjoy!
