My hidden veggies pasta sauce is the best method to sneak in some extra nutrients in the most delicious way. It's super easy to make and picky-eater approved!
If you love simple pasta sauces, try my creamy chicken pasta with garlic and easy lemon garlic pasta sauce next!
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Whether you have a family who loves pasta but won't touch vegetables or you're simply looking for a great way to use up all the leftover veggies in your fridge, this hidden veggies pasta sauce is the answer.
I've been making it for ages whenever I need to clean my vegetable drawer, and incidentally, it's one of the tastiest, creamiest pasta sauces you'll ever try.
Why you'll love my hidden veggies pasta sauce
- It looks like a regular creamy tomato pasta sauce, so the kids won't even question what's inside.
- The sauce is super smooth and clings beautifully to the pasta.
- It's perfect on its own or you can use it as a base for chicken or seafood.
What you'll need
Olive oil - I like a generous splash of olive oil here because it really helps with flavor when blending the veggies.
Vegetables - The world's your oyster here. I used a mix of red onion, carrots, celery, red bell pepper, zucchini and sweet potato, but literally anything you have will do. It's also the perfect recipe to adapt according to seasons.
Seasoning - I keep it simple with just some Italian herb mix and a pinch of red chili flakes.
Tomato paste + tomato sauce - This is the combination that loads the sauce with that rich tomato flavor. Cook the paste for a minute until it reaches a dark red color, then follow with the tomato sauce.
Pasta - I used mezzi rigatoni here, but any other kind of pasta, long or short, would do.
Parmesan - Because what's a creamy pasta dish without a generous sprinkling of Parmesan?
Pro tip
If using a hand blender, make sure you turn off the heat and let the sauce cool for a couple of minutes before blending.
How to make pasta sauce with hidden veggies
This is a quick overview with step-by-step photos. The full recipe with detailed steps is in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Cook the pasta in well-salted water until al dente and reserve some of the pasta water before draining.
Sauté all the vegetables in olive oil until completely soft, then add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and chili flakes and cook until fragrant.
Stir in the tomato paste, tomato sauce, water, salt, and pepper, then simmer for a few minutes before blending until smooth.
Toss the blended sauce with the cooked pasta, loosening with pasta water as needed, then finish with Parmesan and parsley before serving.
Expert tips
- You can use diced tomatoes instead of tomato sauce if that's what you have; it all gets blended anyway!
- Add a splash of coconut milk or heavy cream for a richer sauce.
- If the sauce looks too thick when blending, add some of the reserved pasta water, but keep in mind that it will thicken more as it cools down.
What to serve with hidden veggies pasta sauce
- This pasta dish is excellent on its own, topped with a generous amount of freshly grated Parmesan and a few freshly torn basil leaves.
- But it's also great asa base for chicken or seafood. Stir in some cooked chicken or cooked prawns to make it into a heartier meal. It's also so good with meatballs!
- Or serve it as a side for your favorite chicken or fish dishes. It goes great with this spicy chicken sheet pan dinneror my easy sheet pan salmon.
Leftovers and storage
- This pasta dish keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The sauce will thicken as it sits.
- To reheat, warm gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
- The sauce freezes well on its own for up to 3 months. I don't recommend freezing it already mixed with pasta.
More creamy vegetarian pasta recipes
If you've tried this hidden veggies pasta recipe, please rate it and leave a comment below! I'd love to hear how it turned out.
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Hidden Veggies Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 10 oz (300 g) short pasta, I used mezzi rigatoni
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2-3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 1 large zucchini, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 medium sweet potato, diced into small cubes
- 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning mix
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup (225 ml) tomato sauce, passata
- ½ cup (125 ml) water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- A handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it generously and cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve about ½ cup of the cooking water before draining.10 oz short pasta
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the red onion, carrots, celery, red bell pepper, zucchini and sweet potato. Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring often, until all the vegetables are soft.2 tablespoons olive oil1 medium red onion2 medium carrots2-3 celery stalks1 medium red bell pepper1 large zucchini1 medium sweet potato
- Add the garlic, Italian seasoning and red chili flakes and continue to cook for another minute.4 garlic cloves½ tablespoon Italian seasoning mix¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then pour in the tomato sauce and water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until the sauce thickens a bit.1 tablespoon tomato paste1 cup tomato sauce½ cup water½ teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Transfer everything to a blender (or use a stick blender) and blend until smooth. If needed, add a splash of reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce to your liking.
- Return the sauce to the pan and add the cooked pasta. Add some more pasta water as needed. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and most of the parsley.¼ cup Parmesan cheeseA handful of fresh parsley
- Serve hot, finished with the remaining parsley and extra Parmesan on top if you like.
Video
Notes
- You can use literally any vegetable you want to hide in this sauce. Broccoli, cauliflower, fennel, mushrooms, butternut squash, leeks and spinach are all great choices.
Nutrition
Nutrition is per serving and is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.
Melissa says
This was actually great! The vegetables really blended in well with the sauce and it wasn’t obvious that all of those vegetables were inside!
R.Long says
My kids loved this recipe! Will be using again!
Alice says
I'm so glad to hear that! ❤️
Trinette says
This was so tasty! I had some veggies to use up so this was the perfect recipe. Thanks so much!