# I don't know how to add veggies to spaghetti sauce



## rubicube (Aug 26, 2006)

I know this sounds ridiculous. . . .I do indeed cook all the time, but I'm not sure on this one.

I would like to add vegetables to our store-bought spaghetti sauce to make it a little more nutritious. What vegetables are good to add? I was thinking about adding squash, but then I wasn't sure if I should roast the squash ahead of time and then put it in the sauce.. . .or could I just slice it and cook it in the sauce itself?

I should just probably make my sauce from scratch, but I have never attempted that before.

any help would be appreciated!

Thanks!


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## SquishyBuggles (Dec 19, 2008)

Here's a good link if you want to make it from scratch, scratch...like using fresh tomatoes and all.
http://www.catalogs.com/info/food/sp...m-scratch.html

Or here's one that is basically exactly what I do:
1 pound hamburger
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
3/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves (optional)
1 bay leaf
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (6ounces) tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small jar mushrooms, or fresh mushrooms
Cook and stir hamburger, sausage, onion and garlic in 10-inch skillet until hamburger and sausage are light brown; drain. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 hour.

As for adding to jarred sauce, I do this occasionally. When I do, I saute some finely chopped onions, garlic, sweet peppers, celery, carrots, mushrooms until tender, then add the jarred sauce. Easy-peasy!


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

I like to sautee squash, zuccini and mushrooms first and then add them to sauce. Even if it's the 'chunky veggie' sauce, I love having extra!

I would think you could add it fresh (or defrosted if it's the frozen kind) as long as you cook the sauce long enough, ya know?


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## clutterbug (Apr 6, 2007)

As per PP, I have sauteed mushroom/onion/green pepper/zucchini and then pour the sauce over top to heat it through. Grated carrot is another one I add sometimes (I just add it raw and let it cook in the sauce for a while). I also throw in a few handfuls of baby spinach when I have it on hand and let it wilt down in the sauce. I have a friend who used to puree raw baby spinach and add it to her jarred sauce...I have done this as well but be warned, too much will turn your sauce green (which doesn't bother me, but just thought I should warn you!).


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## Norasmomma (Feb 26, 2008)

I do this often-I call it my "skillet spaghetti". I usually take about a cup of each of the following-bell pepper, onion, diced carrot. I have also taken zucchini, mushrooms, olives. A quick saute in EVOO and there is it, I also do deglaze the pan with wine. Then I add the sauce. Sometimes I have burger meat cooked and frozen and will add that too-I just did this the other night for dinner. Garlic bread and salad, it takes like 20 minutes to cook.


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## Theoretica (Feb 2, 2008)

You can sautee and add, like the PP, or if you are being sneaky you can simmer to soft, puree, and add.

It's all yummy though!


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## glendora (Jan 24, 2005)

I've added onion, zucchini (cooked before hand), olives, spinach, minced carrot, mushrooms, and bell peppers. It's tasty!


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

I don't know why but I never thought about adding spinach. and I LOVE spinach. Carrots are a good idea, too.


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## lrlittle (Nov 11, 2005)

The other day I chopped up and added yellow squash, zucchini, and carrots. I just threw it in the sauce raw and it softened up fine.

This is making me hungry


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## Leisha (Jan 16, 2008)

Aha, one of my specialty dishes is spaghetti with a lot of veggies







I love it cause it's soooo yummy but healthy too!

I just fry some chopped onion, then add diced carrots and bell peppers and zucchinis, stir it around a bit, then I add a few cans of canned tomatoes (kind of tear/squish them into smaller chunks with your hands







edit: or you could use diced tomatoes, but the squishing is so much fun), and a bit of tomato paste to deepen the flavour. Add spaghetti spice mix.

Then I bring it to a boil and let it simmer for about half an hour, adding the mushrooms somewhere halfway through or near the end (cause they don't take as long to soften). SO easy! You just have to stir occasionally maybe.

I also add meat - I prepare that seperately in a frying pan (about 500gram of minced beef/pork) and add it to the sauce near the end. But you could omit the meat for a veggie version.

(quantities, approximately: 1 kg of carrots (minus a few that I eat raw while cooking







), 2 courgettes/zucchinis, 500gram mushrooms, 2 or 3 bell peppers)

I make this every couple of weeks and freeze a bunch of seperate portions.

Edit: doh I didn't see that you wanted to add veg to your store-bought sauce; but you could just add your sauce instead of where I add canned tomatoes, spices and tomato paste







:


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## Limabean1975 (Jan 4, 2008)

We do this ALOT for "quick dinner". It uses up veggies from the fridge. LIke others, we usually saute and bit then add the sauce to the veg, but I've done it the other way too (add raw veg and let them cook in the sauce).


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## tbone_kneegrabber (Oct 16, 2007)

are you trying to "hide" them, like your kids don't want veggies, but eat sauce? If so, then steam what you want to use, carrots, zucchini, other squash, mushrooms, and puree and then add to the sauce, they'll never even know.


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## rubicube (Aug 26, 2006)

Thanks for all the help, mamas!!
I added the veggies I had on hand last night to our store-bought sauce: yellow squash, zucchini, carrots, and spinach. It was delicious and there were no complaints from anyone. . .I don't think they even really noticed.


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## Carlyn (Jun 11, 2007)

Last time I made spag sauce, it was loaded with veggies! I often add chopped spinach, grated zucchini, grated carrots. It fills it up without changing the texture or taste much (well, maybe just a little tastier!). I added a couple cups of pureed pumpkin last time, to fill it out a bit more and add a few more vitamins. Next year I'm planning on growing chard and some more greens in the garden, and then I'll add those to my sauce too. I never made spag sauce without first sauteing lots of onion, garlic, and peppers. Celery sometimes. This thread is making me hungry!


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## kay4 (Nov 30, 2004)

cooked and pureed carrots is great in sauce. I also do onion, diced celery, green peppers and finely grated carrots.


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## handmadeheartloved (Jan 25, 2009)

I agree with kay4.

The last time I snuck in extra veggies into the spaghetti sauce, I *cooked* and *puréed* it. It started from making my daughter's baby food and I wanted to give it a try in our pasta.

My husband and my daughter didn't notice and I was snickering at the fact that these two didn't know just how wholesome their dinner was. I told my husband after he finished eating and his reaction was, *"What, you didn't think that I was getting enough vitamins?"
*
Here's a post on it, along with suggestions on puréeing:

http://myhouseboutique.typepad.com/w...an-gerber.html


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## aliah79 (Mar 29, 2005)

I loooooooove zucchini, squash, mushrooms in our sauce... I just put them in chopped up and cook until they're tender... mmm....


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## esmicosaquehago (Oct 24, 2008)

I will do any and all of these depending on what I have on hand...

Mushrooms sauteed with garlic and olive oil
Zucchini grated raw into the sauce while it simmers
Frozen green peas added to the boiling water with the pasta... same cooking time! And I think very tasty with the tomato sauce
1-2 cloves of chopped raw garlic
Sliced black olives


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## CookiePie (Jan 9, 2009)

I just did this last night. Olive oil, chopped onions, red bell pepper, crushed garlic, grated carrot & zucchini. By grating the carrot & zucchini it cooks much quicker & the kiddos aren't picking stuff out. To that salt & black pepper, a pinch of red pepper flakes, basil & oregano. I cook that for a bit until soft. Then I added 1 large can of crushed tomatos. I let that simmer for a while. It came out so delicious.


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

I make my own sauce, and but even before I'd saute onions with whatever meat I was cooking then add sauce, then add green/red peppers, mushrooms.. you can also add grated carrot or zucchini in, both of which practicly dissolve and disapear.


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## Magelet (Nov 16, 2008)

Probably my fave way to add veggies to pasta sauce is to saute some onions, then when they're cooked, wilt spinach, and then toss in a jar or half a jar of tomato sauce. Sometimes I'll add a quartered fresh tomato or two if its in season. I then add some cream. Maybe not what your looking for, but it is soooo good. You can add some cheese to thicken it, or not. I love it, its a yummy tomatoey creamy pink sauce with veggies. yum.

Or peas. admitedly, not creative, but I dump frozen peas in every imagineable pasta dish. cream pasta, sundried tomato pasta, marinara pasta, plain pasta, alfredo pasta, rose sauce (see above) pasta....

Lol when I was a kid, I would get SOOO mad when mom put zuchini in the marinara even though I couldn't taste it. lol. dunno why.


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