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Home » Dinner Recipes » Veggie Packed Pasta Sauce

Veggie Packed Pasta Sauce

17 Comments By Jesseca on January 23, 2023

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This Veggie Packed Pasta Sauce is a staple in our menu. Made regularly and a super simple way to create a hearty sauce that the entire family will love.

I made this easy pasta sauce for my sister once. She refuses to not talk about it whenever we get together. And that is saying a lot because, truth be told, she is a better cook than me.

But I dominate when it comes to baking. So I feel like it’s ok to admit this one tiny flaw.

This sauce uses a spicy Italian sausage, tomatoes, and a mountain of vegetables to get it’s bold flavor. The slow cook simmer gives it time for all of the flavors to blend together into perfection. It’s dinner gold.

veggie pasta sauce
vegetable pasta sauce
spaghetti recipe with vegetables

Recipe Features:

  • Freezer Friendly: Make it in advance and keep it in the freezer for a quick weekday dinner idea!
  • Slow-Cooker Meal: Yes! You can make this in the slow cooker!
  • Easy to Customize: Swap the sausage for beef or even ground chicken!

What You Need:

We love to use Italian sausage (sweet mild if the babe is going to be eating and spicy if it’s just for me and my hubby) but really you can even use regular hamburger. Once you have chosen your meat it’s time to get things rolling.

Here’s what you need for this chunky vegetable pasta sauce:

  • Beef: Your choice here!
  • Onions and garlic
  • Tomatoes: Canned and a little sauce
  • Veggies of your choice. Our favorites are listed in the recipe card below.

Looking for another quick and easy dinner idea? Try my Vegetable Lo Mein!

Step by Step Instructions:

Making a vegetable pasta sauce is actually fairly simple. Most of the work will come with chopping or dicing the vegetables. Once that is done you only have to worry about browning the beef!

  1. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the sausage, onions, and garlic. Cook until the meat is browned, roughly 5 minutes.
  2. Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, zucchini, carrots, sugar, baking soda, salt, and pepper. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook on low heat for at least one hour or until the veggies are soft.
  3. Optional: Use an immersion blender to get a smoother finished sauce.

Tips and FAQs:

This is honestly the easiest tomato sauce with fresh vegetables. I am all about getting dinner together in a reasonable amount of time so that I can focus on other things. Here are a few tips to help you along your cooking journey:

Do I have to let this Veggie Packed Pasta Sauce simmer for a full hour?

Yes. This helps to cook the vegetables and allows the sauce to cook down and condense the flavor.

How to freeze pasta sauce:

  1. Allow the cooked sauce to cool completely.
  2. Transfer to quart sized zip top bags.
  3. Label and freeze solid.

This sauce will last up to 6 months if frozen properly!

Related Recipes:

  • Cajun Chicken Pasta
  • Homemade Alfredo
  • Simple Lasagna
  • Spaghetti Meat Sauce
  • Ranch Chicken Stuffed Shells
5 from 1 vote

Veggie Packed Pasta Sauce

Created by: Jesseca

Course Dinner Recipes
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
8 servings
This Veggie Packed Pasta Sauce is a staple in our menu. Made regularly and a super simple way to create a hearty sauce that the entire family will love.
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Ingredients
  

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 pound Italian sausage
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 28 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 16 oz tomato sauce
  • 1 zucchini diced
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the sausage, onions, and garlic. Cook until the meat is browned, roughly 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, zucchini, carrots, sugar, baking soda, salt, and pepper. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook on low heat for at least one hour or until the veggies are soft.
  • Optional: Use an immersion blender to get a smoother finished sauce.

Notes

How to freeze pasta sauce:

  1. Allow the cooked sauce to cool completely.
  2. Transfer to quart sized zip top bags.
  3. Label and freeze solid.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Servings | Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 915mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g

Equipment

Cutting Board Mats 
Whisk
Dutch Oven

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    Comments & Reviews

  1. Christiane ~ Taking On Magazines says

    February 27, 2015

    Your Le Creuset pan is absolutely amazing and what you made in it even more so. The sauce is perfect for these cold, snowy days.

    Reply
  2. amy @ one artsy mama says

    February 27, 2015

    Yum! That looks so tasty!

    Reply
  3. JoDell says

    February 27, 2015

    This look so delicious! I love that it has so many vegetables in it! Can’t wait to try it out!

    Reply
  4. Barbara @ Barbara Bakes says

    February 27, 2015

    A great way to sneak some veggies in. Love the gorgeous Le Creuset pan. I’ve had my eye on the Caribbean blue one.

    Reply
  5. Sylvie | Gourmande in the Kitchen says

    February 26, 2015

    Now I’ve got to pull out my le creuset pot and make a batch of sauce!

    Reply
  6. Kara says

    February 26, 2015

    That looks so good! I’ve had a Le Creuset pan on my wish list for awhile now. Heard so many good things about them!

    Reply
  7. Erin @ DIY on the Cheap says

    February 26, 2015

    This looks delicious! I’ve been wanting a dutch oven. I’ll have to keep this one in mind.

    Reply
  8. Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens says

    February 26, 2015

    This is just gorgeous, and I love all those healthy veggies jammed in there! So yummy to use Italian sausage instead of ground beef, too – such an easy way to really amp up big flavor! Yum!!!

    Reply
  9. Cheri Villanueva says

    February 26, 2015

    The Le Creuset Dutch Oven is on my list of “must haves” would love to own one. Will be trying the recipe very soon. Looks wonderful.

    Reply
  10. Steph @ Steph in Thyme says

    February 26, 2015

    What a gorgeous Le Creuset! I adore mine and use it for just about everything, especially in the winter. Perfect for sauces like this one!

    Reply
  11. Kami @ sweet Charli says

    February 26, 2015

    this looks delicious!! I have been a sucker for pasta lately so I will for sure be trying this!

    Reply
  12. Amy | The Happy Scraps says

    February 26, 2015

    This sauce looks like it is to die for!

    Reply
  13. Aimee @ Like mother like daughter says

    February 26, 2015

    I’ve dreamed of the day when I’ll be able to have a Le Creuset pot or dish. And this sauce looks gorgeous! The perfect way to sneak veggies into your meal!

    Reply
  14. Becky @ lovetobeinthekitchen says

    February 26, 2015

    I LOVE Le Creuset! Every time I use mine I can’t believe I’m cooking in something so beautiful. And this pasta looks amazing! I always think pasta sauce is best when packed with veggies. I’m so going to make this soon!

    Reply
  15. Candy says

    February 26, 2015

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE this cookware, I’ve had my set for over 20 years and it still performs beautifully! Will never used anything else. The recipe sounds delicious, I’m going to try it!

    Reply
  16. Sydney @ Tastefully Frugal says

    February 26, 2015

    This looks and sounds so yummy! I love when I can sneak veggies into my kids’ favorite foods. I will definitely be making this soon.

    Reply
  17. Yvonne [Tried and Tasty] says

    February 26, 2015

    It’s gorgeous!!!! And this recipe look TASTY!!!! Definitely going to give it a try!

    Reply

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Jesseca - Author of One Sweet Appetite

Welcome, I'm Jesseca!

I could not be more excited to have you join me in my kitchen! Everyday easy recipes are my specialty, which means you will find so many fast, quick, and delicious recipes throughout my site. My goal is to create go-to recipes using simple ingredients and pantry staples.

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