Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce Recipe
This post contains affiliate links (paid links). Advertisements displayed on this website do not reflect endorsements or recommendations made by Mitten Girl LLC. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Skip to Recipe
This hidden veggie pasta sauce is a great way to get more veggies into your day or into your kids! It makes a large amount that freezes well, making it an excellent choice for meal prep.
Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce is especially helpful when trying to please a picky young eater but still feed them something healthy. Using store bought marinara sauce helps speed up the cooking time so you can get this meal on the table on a busy weeknight.
Adding ground beef or ground turkey to the sauce gives it a good boost in protein. Want a vegetarian sauce? Swap the meat for a meatless ground protein option, like Impossible Ground Beef or Beyond Meat Beefy Crumbles.
Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 large carrots, peeled and grated
- 2 lbs ground beef, or turkey
- 2 Tbsp dried basil
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 48 oz marinara sauce, 2 – 24 ounce jars
Instructions
- In a large, high sided skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil over medium heat.2 Tbsp olive oil
- Add chopped onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes.2 medium onions
- Add minced garlic and grated carrots. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes.3-4 cloves garlic, 3 large carrots
- Remove from pan and place in a large bowl.
- Place pan back on stove. Add remaining 1 Tbsp of olive oil and heat over medium heat.
- Add ground beef or turkey, basil, garlic powder, oregano, onion powder, salt and pepper.2 lbs ground beef, 2 Tbsp dried basil, 1 Tbsp garlic powder, 1 Tbsp dried oregano, 2 tsp onion powder, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper
- Cook, stirring to break up ground meat, until meat is cooked through and spices are well incorporated.
- Remove from pan and add to bowl with veggies.
- Add the 2 jars of marinara sauce to the bowl of cooked meat and veggies.48 oz marinara sauce
- Mix thoroughly to combine.
- The sauce is ready to enjoy or store!
Equipment
Meal Prep with This Veggie Pasta Sauce
I love making this recipe during weekend meal prep. It makes enough to feed a larger family (4-6 people) or two meals for a smaller family (2-4 people). You can make the sauce ahead of time and place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days before you want to serve it. Just heat it up on the stove or in the microwave while the pasta cooks.
Tips on Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce
- Finely diced red, orange or yellow bell peppers as well as finely diced yellow squash go well in this sauce. Add them in along side the carrots.
- Green bell peppers, fresh spinach, and finely diced zucchini are all delicious too, but I have a kiddo who’ll spot “green things” in her pasta sauce from a mile away, so I limit my add it to what will blend in best with the red sauce.
- Use your food processor to chop the veggies if you want them extra small or are trying to hide them from a super picky eater!
- Any ground meat can be used in this recipe – ground beef, chicken, pork, or turkey all work great.
Freezing This Sauce
To freeze this Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce, allow it to cool, then ladle it into airtight containers or labeled, zip top bags. Seal well, and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the frozen sauce container in the refrigerator overnight. To eat it sooner than that, submerge the frozen sauce (in its container) into a bowl of cold water and let it set for an hour or two, or until it’s thawed enough to break apart. Place the thawed sauce in a saucepan over the stove and slowly heat, stirring occasionally, until it’s heated through.
