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HomeHealthy EatingVeggie-Packed Meat Sauce (freezer-friendly!) | Bold Kitchen

Veggie-Packed Meat Sauce (freezer-friendly!) | Bold Kitchen


Whereas I used to be on guide tour I met so many mamas who at all times requested me: what recipes do your youngsters ACTUALLY eat?! Frankly, it’s just a little little bit of a trick query as a result of what my kiddos love in the future they could determine they hate the subsequent (#momlife). However through the years I’ve discovered methods to sneak veggies and protein into their favourite consolation meals in order that they really eat it and I can be ok with what they’re placing of their our bodies.

A chief instance? This flavorful, simple, veggie-packed meat sauce full of a rainbow of greens that you just received’t even discover. The trick is mixing up the veggies right into a “mush-like” texture earlier than cooking them down along with your favourite floor meat. Belief me; the veggies add a number of vitamins and texture that actually make the sauce. You possibly can watch me make it from begin to end within the subsequent episode of Good Temper Consolation Meals!

The recipes on my website and in my cookbook are all about what you’ll be able to add to your plate to make it extra nourishing and nutrient-dense, not what it’s good to take away out of your food regimen. You already know I by no means sacrifice taste, so prepare for one of the best wholesome meat sauce you’ll ever make and watch the entire household gobble it up!

hidden vegetable meat sauce over pasta on a platehidden vegetable meat sauce over pasta on a plate

Elements on this veggie-packed meat sauce

What I really like about this wholesome meat sauce recipe is you can actually load it up with any greens you will have in your fridge! It’s such an incredible go-to and a simple method to make use of pantry staples. Right here’s what you’ll want:

  • Veggies: I made my sauce with an onion, carrots, purple bell pepper, and zucchini. Don’t neglect so as to add contemporary garlic, too.
  • Meat: be happy to make use of any lean floor meat you’d like! I usually use 90% lean floor meat, and it will work with rooster, beef, turkey, lamb, and extra.
  • Herbs & spices: get further taste from paprika, coriander, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. I additionally love stirring in contemporary basil.
  • Tomato paste & sauce: as a result of we’re making a purple sauce, you’ll want each tomato paste and a can of crushed tomatoes.
  • Broth: you’ll be able to both use low-sodium rooster broth OR white wine because the liquid to cook dinner the sauce. White wine provides a beautiful acidity and depth of taste.
  • Maple syrup: I like so as to add a tiny little bit of maple syrup to steadiness the acidity as effectively.
  • For serving: get artistic with any pasta you’d like — even gluten-free! I choose lengthy pasta shapes right here like pappardelle, spaghetti, or bucatini. High with contemporary basil and just a little grated parmesan, too, when you’d like.

blending vegetables in a food processor to make a healthy meat sauceblending vegetables in a food processor to make a healthy meat sauce

Can I make it vegan?

Positive! If you wish to make a hidden vegetable pasta sauce with none meat, you’ll be able to merely :

  • Add a pair further veggies, omit the meat and observe the recipe as directed
  • Use your favourite vegan floor meat substitute
  • OR cube up some mushrooms and cook dinner them in your pan with the greens

cooking vegetables in a pan to make a vegetable meat saucecooking vegetables in a pan to make a vegetable meat sauce

Jazz up your meat sauce

Be at liberty so as to add further savory taste by stirring parmesan cheese proper into the sauce, and even including a number of tablespoons of basil pesto!

cooking hidden vegetable meat sauce in a pancooking hidden vegetable meat sauce in a pan

Simple veggie meat sauce in 3 steps

  1. Prep the veggies. Roughly chop all your greens, then add them to the bowl of a meals processor and pulse on excessive till it’s very effectively minced and mushy. No roasting required! That is how one can sneak the veggies in with out kiddos noticing. You will have to do that in batches relying on the dimensions of your meals processor.
  2. Cook dinner the veggies & meat. Cook dinner the veggie “mush” in a big skillet with olive oil and salt till it begins to caramelize and cease releasing its liquid. Push them to the perimeters of the pan, then add your floor meat and break it aside to cook dinner it. Add all of these herbs and spices and cook dinner via.
  3. End the sauce. Add your tomato paste and cook dinner for a few minute, then add the white wine or broth, and eventually stir within the crushed tomatoes, maple syrup, and basil. Simmer the sauce to let the flavors develop, then serve nevertheless you want!

veggie-packed meat sauce mixed with pastaveggie-packed meat sauce mixed with pasta

Tips on how to serve this sauce with pasta

After cooking your pasta, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. You possibly can then both add the meat sauce proper into the pot with the pasta, including just a little pasta water at a time to loosen it up, or you’ll be able to add your cooked pasta to serving bowls and high with the meat sauce. Garnish and revel in! The later possibility is an effective way to save lots of further meat sauce for later.

two plates of pasta with healthy meat saucetwo plates of pasta with healthy meat sauce

Our favourite methods to serve this hidden vegetable meat sauce

plate of pasta with veggie-packed meat sauceplate of pasta with veggie-packed meat sauce

Tips on how to retailer & freeze this wholesome meat sauce

  • To retailer: permit meat sauce to chill, then place in an hermetic container and retailer within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
  • To freeze: place cooled sauce in an hermetic freezer-safe container, leaving room on high to permit for enlargement, after which freeze for as much as 6 months. You may as well freeze in stasher baggage. Thaw within the fridge in a single day, then reheat on the stovetop or within the microwave.

Extra sauce recipes you’ll love

Get all of my sauces & dressings right here, and all of my pasta recipes right here!

I hope you like this veggie-packed meat sauce! Should you make it remember to go away a remark and a score so I understand how you preferred it. Take pleasure in, xo!

Good Temper Consolation Meals

cover of the ambitious kitchen cookbookcover of the ambitious kitchen cookbook

The
Bold Kitchen
Cookbook

125 Ridiculously Good For You, Generally Indulgent, and Completely By no means Boring Recipes for Each Meal of the Day

Veggie-Packed Meat Sauce (freezer-friendly, nice for youths!)

plate of pasta with veggie-packed meat sauceplate of pasta with veggie-packed meat sauce

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook dinner Time 45 minutes

Whole Time 1 hour

Serves6 servings

This veggie-packed meat sauce, often known as ragu, is an extremely flavorful, simple recipe to maintain in your again pocket (and freezer always!). Full of protein out of your favourite floor meat and loaded with FOUR totally different greens, this meat sauce boasts each scrumptious taste and diet that everybody will gobble up! Nice for infants, kiddos and adults and makes a beautiful postpartum meal too. A must-make!

Elements

  • For the veggies:
  • 1 onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 medium carrots, roughly chopped
  • 1 purple bell pepper, diced
  • 1 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced
  • 3 to five cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • For the meat sauce:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound 90% lean floor meat (can use rooster, beef, turkey, bison, lamb and even pork sausage! )
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly floor black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • ¼ cup white wine OR low-sodium rooster broth
  • 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
  • ¼ cup chopped contemporary basil
  • Pasta and serving:
  • 1 pound of pappardelle (or sub spaghetti or bucatini or one other lengthy pasta form)
  • Contemporary basil leaves (julienned, if desired)
  • Contemporary grated parmesan cheese

Directions

  • Put together the veggies: Within the bowl of a giant meals processor, add the chopped onion, carrots, bell pepper, zucchini and garlic. Pulse on excessive for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the veggies down the perimeters of the meals processor as needed, till they’re VERY finely minced and nearly appear like mush. (The purpose is to have the VERY small in order that they simply break down and in order that we get the children to eat this deliciousness!) Should you do not need a big meals processor (at the least a 7-cup) you will want to do that in batches.

  • Make the meat sauce: Place a deep massive skillet or pot over medium-high warmth and add within the olive oil. As soon as the oil is heat, add within the veggie combination, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and cook dinner for 10 to fifteen minutes, stirring sometimes, till the veggies start to caramelize, flip barely golden and all the liquid is absorbed and now not releasing from the veggies. Push the veggies to the perimeters of the pan after which add the bottom meat within the center, breaking the meat aside with a meat masher or wood spoon. As soon as meat is damaged up, instantly add the ½ teaspoon kosher salt, a number of grinds of black pepper, paprika, coriander, and oregano to the combination, and cook dinner for five to six minutes, till the meat is now not pink.

  • Subsequent, add within the tomato paste to the meat combination and cook dinner for 30 seconds to 1 minute to permit the flavors to bloom, then add within the white wine or broth and cook dinner for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir within the crushed tomatoes, pure maple syrup and contemporary basil. Cowl the pan and switch warmth to low. Simmer the sauce for 10 to fifteen minutes to permit the flavors to develop whilst you cook dinner your pasta.

  • Cook dinner the pasta: Fill a big pot with water and add a beneficiant quantity of kosher salt (about 2 teaspoons). Deliver water to a boil over excessive warmth. As soon as water is boiling, cook dinner pasta till al dente, in keeping with instructions on the bundle. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and put aside earlier than draining, then drain pasta and place again within the pot.

  • To serve: You will have a number of decisions, you’ll be able to both toss the meat sauce straight into the pasta together with just a little pasta water (begin with ½ cup and add extra as needed) to make it good and creamy, or you’ll be able to merely add the pasta to bowls and serve the meat sauce on high. Utterly as much as you. Garnish with freshly grated parm and a few further contemporary basil.

  • To retailer: Enable meat sauce to chill, then place in an hermetic container and retailer within the fridge for as much as 5 days. To freeze: Place cooled sauce in an hermetic freezer-safe container, leaving room on high to permit for enlargement after which freeze for as much as 6 months. You may as well freeze in stasher baggage. Thaw within the fridge in a single day, then reheat on the stovetop or within the microwave.

Recipe Notes

See the total put up for suggestions, tips, and methods to customise your meat sauce!

Diet

Serving: 1serving (based mostly on 6, sauce & pasta)Energy: 487calCarbohydrates: 75.5gProtein: 27.7gFats: 8.5gSaturated Fats: 1.4gFiber: 6.4gSugar: 14.4g

Recipe by: Monique Volz // Bold Kitchen | Pictures by: Eat Love Eats

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