Recipe: Veggie loaded pasta sauce

No matter what way of eating you follow, adding more vegetables into your diet is always a good idea! I created this recipe as a way to increase my children's vegetable intake and include vegetables in their diet that they wouldn't usually eat. It's really easy to make and produces enough for 4 family sized meals. Portion it up after blending and freeze for quick and easy dinners. If we are having a meat-free night, I usually serve the sauce with some pulse pasta, zucchini noodles or gnocchi. It's also great layered up in a lasagne or served with meatballs. However you chose to serve it, I hope it becomes one of your family's favourite meals!

Recipe:

Ingredients

2 carrots, roughly chopped

1/2 bulb fennel, roughly chopped

2 zucchini, roughly chopped

2 red capsicum (peppers), de-seeded and sliced

olive oil

4 cloves garlic

Butter

2 brown onions, quartered

1 leek, sliced

2 stalks celery, sliced

2 handfuls spinach leaves

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup red wine

Fresh herbs: such as rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, sage

1 tbsp fennel seeds

1 cup bone broth or veggie stock

4 tomatoes, chopped

3 tbsp tomato paste

1 bottle passata

1/2 tbsp raw honey

sprinkle chilli, flakes

Method

Preheat an oven to 200 and line a tray with baking paper. Add the chopped up carrots, fennel, zucchini and red capsicum along with the garlic to the tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until vegetables are caramelised.

Meanwhile heat some butter in a pan and cook the onions, leek and celery until soft. Add in the spinach leaves and mushrooms and heat until cooked through and spinach has wilted.

Add the red wine to the pan and reduce.

Stir through the fresh herbs, fennel seeds, bone broth, chopped tomatoes, passata, honey and tomato paste and reduce heat and simmer until slightly reduced.

Add in the roasted vegetables and chilli flakes and remove from the heat.

Blend in a high speed blender in batches until it is smooth.

Portion into 4 serves and freeze or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

~ Jo Kate