Hidden Veggie Tomato Sauce

Name: Hidden Veggie Tomato Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 1 tbsp oil; 1 medium onion, finely diced; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 3 carrots, finely diced; 2 celery sticks, finely diced; 2 courgettes, finely diced; 1 red pepper, chopped; 1.5kg / 3.3lbs passata; 500ml / 2 cups veg stock; 1 tbsp tomato puree; 1 tsp dried Italian herbs; 1 tsp paprika; optional: handful of fresh basil leaves

October 13, 2015 by Ciara Attwell, Updated January 3, 2023

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Got a veggie hating family? Try my Hidden Veggie Tomato Sauce, perfect for pastas, pizzas, no added sugar and it can be frozen too!

This is a recipe that I have been meaning to share here for ages. Its just a simple tomato sauce but because it’s packed full of hidden veggies it makes a really fantastic addition to your children’s meals and a great way to sneak in some extra nutrients.

We all rely on pre-made pasta sauces from time to time to get dinner on the table quick. But if you have 30 minutes to spare then it’s worth making up this Hidden Veg Sauce and keeping it in your freezer for busy days.

It makes up to 10 kids portions so is a great way to batch cook for the whole month.

How To Make A Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce

Start by frying off some onions and garlic in a large saucepan.

The sauce is going to be blitzed so there’s no need to cut the onions up super small. Chunky is fine and easier too!

Next add in chopped carrots, celery, courgettes and red pepper.

You can also add other veggies like aubergine, broccoli, cauliflower etc.

Add vegetable stock, passata, tomato puree and herbs and simmer for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

The result will be almost like a chunky soup which you can then blend with a hand blender or transfer into a stand blender.

When blitzed, the sauce will thicken up.

Storage Instructions

For me, the key to healthy family eating is preparation. When I make a batch of this tomato sauce I always fill one large jar to keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Add it straight to your cooked and drained pasta and heat for 1-2 minutes on a low heat on the hob until hot throughout.

It can also be frozen in freezer bags or in individual ice cube trays also, which is great for toddler or baby sized portions.

The sauce will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To defrost either leave it out to defrost at room temperature for a few hours or heat it gently in a saucepan for a 4-5 minutes.

There’s so much you can do with this sauce. It’s great for pasta dishes, on pizzas or even as a base for soup.

If you try this recipe please do let me know what you think. Or tag me in a picture on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. I’d love to see your pictures!

Hidden Veg Recipes

If you liked this recipe you may also enjoy my Slow Cooker Hidden Veg Pasta Sauce

Or my Hidden Veggie Chicken Curry

Plates for Fussy Eaters!

Looking for ways to get your fussy eater to eat a better variety of food? Try Pick Plates. These round divided plates have five compartments to be filled with a wide selection of food groups and choices of ingredients. Perfect for making food fun, interesting and appealing to picky eaters.