Veggie-Loaded Tomato Sauce (Printable)

Vibrant tomato sauce packed with puréed vegetables for a rich, flavorful experience.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
02 - 1 small zucchini, chopped
03 - 1 bell pepper (red or orange), seeded and chopped
04 - 1 small onion, chopped
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 celery stalk, chopped

→ Tomato Base

07 - 2 cans (14 oz each) crushed tomatoes
08 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste

→ Seasonings

09 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
10 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
11 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
13 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
14 - 1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)

→ Optional Add-ins

15 - Pinch of red pepper flakes
16 - Fresh basil, chopped, for garnish

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, zucchini, and bell pepper. Sauté for 8 to 10 minutes until softened.
02 - Incorporate minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in tomato paste and sauté for 1 minute to deepen flavor.
04 - Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and optional sugar. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer.
05 - Cover the saucepan and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender.
06 - Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender or transferring in batches to a countertop blender, purée the sauce until completely smooth.
07 - Return the puréed sauce to low heat and simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning as desired.
08 - Serve warm over your choice of pasta, garnished with fresh basil if preferred.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Sneak vegetables into every bite without that veggie-forward taste that turns people away.
  • A 50-minute investment yields enough sauce for the whole week, freezing beautifully.
  • The blending step creates this silky texture that clings to pasta in a way chunky sauces never quite manage.
02 -
  • The sauce will taste acidic and raw if you don't blend it—the blending step transforms chunky vegetables into a unified, smooth texture that tastes completely different.
  • Don't skip the sugar entirely; even vegan cooks keep this in their back pocket because it doesn't make sauce sweet, just balanced and approachable.
03 -
  • Use an immersion blender instead of transferring to a regular blender—it's less cleanup and you can feel the moment the sauce goes from chunky to silky smooth.
  • Make a double batch and freeze flat in bags; defrost the night before and you've essentially outsourced dinner preparation to your past self.
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