veggie-packed tomato sauce
A simple blended tomato sauce, guaranteed crowd-pleaser and a way to sneak veggies onto the plates of even the pickiest eater.
This tomato sauce is my go-to on lazy cooking days; the best part is the recipe makes bulk quantities of sauce, leaving me with extras for a rainy day.
Yields: 8 cups sauce
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 stalks celery, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
- 2 large carrots, chopped (2 cups)
- 1 small butternut squash, de-seeded, peeled, and chopped (2-3 cups)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 28 oz can diced tomatoes (796 mL)
- 5.5 oz can tomato paste (156 mL)
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Prepare squash by peeling, removing seeds, and dicing. Toss squash in 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp cumin and spread on baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through.
2. While squash is baking, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a LARGE pan or pot over medium-high heat (seriously, this recipe makes A LOT of sauce). Add the onions and sauté until softened and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Add carrots, celery, dried basil, and dried oregano and cook an additional 5 minutes until veggies have softened. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, baked squash, 1 cup water, paprika, and turmeric, stirring well.
4. Bring the sauce to a rapid simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Continue simmering until the sauce is slightly reduced and thickened, about 20-25 minutes. Add more water if needed to reach desired consistency.
5. Remove from heat and blend the sauce using an immersion blender, or in small batches using a blender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over your favourite pasta!
Notes:
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, sauce also freezes well.