Vegetarian Spaghetti Sauce with Whole Wheat Pasta
This easy and delicious Vegetarian Spaghetti Sauce with hidden fresh veggies, served over whole wheat pasta, makes for a quick and satisfying meal.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 242kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3/4 cup red onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 zucchini diced
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 2 tsp Dried Italian Seasoning more to taste
- Salt to taste
- crushed red pepper optional, to taste
- 8 oz Whole wheat pasta
- 28 oz Jar of pasta sauce
- 6 tbsp Shredded fresh parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions, add salt to taste. Drain and set aside
- Add 2 tsp olive oil to a pot over medium heat
- Add garlic, and red onions, saute for 5 min. Then add the rest of your veggies (bell pepper through spinach) and saute until they are soft - about 5-10 minutes.
- Add pasta sauce to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add dried italian seasoning and salt/crushed red pepper to taste. Simmer on medium-low heat for 10 minutes until the flavors have combined.
- Turn the heat off and blend the sauce with an immersion blender, blending it in "bursts" so that it remains somewhat chunky and doesn't become completely pureed.
- Serve with whole wheat pasta and top with 1 tbsp cheese.
Notes
Top Tips For This Healthy Vegetarian Spaghetti Sauce
- Use any vegetables you have on hand to increase the nutrients in this pasta sauce! If you don't have spinach, kale or any leafy green would work well. If you don't have zucchini - substitute any squash! This is a great "clean out your fridge" spaghetti sauce recipe.
- Serve this dish on top of whole wheat pasta. For added protein, use a legume or chickpea based pasta.
- Make sure to salt your water when cooking the pasta.
- Stir the pasta regularly, when cooking, to prevent it from sticking.
- Use a high quality marinara sauce.
- Add additional herbs and seasoning such as dried basil, oregano or rosemary. For an extra kick, add more crushed red pepper to your finished sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 3.6mg | Sodium: 466.2mg | Potassium: 184.8mg | Fiber: 6.7g | Sugar: 5g