As part of national vegetarian week, we’d like to share our special, veggie packed pasta sauce (great for those of us who are vegetable dodgers!) This recipe makes a good sized batch and freezes really well.
INGREDIENTS
3 x onions
4 gloves garlic
10 x large vine tomatoes
2 peppers (whichever colour you prefer)
2 x carrots
2 x celery stalks
1 x courgette
1 jar passata (690g)
3 tablespoons tomato puree
1.5 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons dried oregano
6 x mushrooms (optional) – add 20 minutes before end of cooking. See note at end
A good handful of fresh basil (around 30g pack)
METHOD
Peel/chop all vegetables, keeping carrots quite small. Fry onions in a little oil in a large pan on a medium heat for around 5 mins until lightly softened but not browned. Add the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the rest of the vegetables to the pan along with passata (add a little water to the jar and shake to get all of the passata out and add to the pan). Stir in tomato puree and brown sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer, loosely covered with a lid for around an hour until the carrots are cooked. Keep giving the pasta sauce a good stir whilst cooking (the sauce will change to a lovely, deep red colour). When cooked, add basil and stir in. Check seasoning. Allow to cool and then use a blender/liquidiser to make into a smooth sauce.
Note – if you’re using mushrooms, add them around 40 minutes into the cooking time.