Red Sauce with Secret Vegetables
About this Recipe
By: Rachel
I absolutely love vegetables, which means that I tend to go overboard when I’m shopping, especially if I’m at the Farmers’ Market.
No matter how much I try and stick to my meal plan, I get hopelessly lured in by the array of tempting colors, flavors, and textures on offer.
My tendency to overbuy, combined with the Things That Come Up every week, means that I don’t always use up all of the veggies in my refrigerator. This recipe makes use of a wide variety of vegetables in a simple, quick, and versatile way.
You can’t really discern the taste of all these vegetables in the sauce. It tastes hearty and earthy and satisfying, but not specifically of mushroom, zucchini, peppers, or carrots. It does taste richly satisfying, however, and I always feel a little healthier after I eat it!
My favorite use for this sauce is in lasagna, whether layered with cheese and sauce or layered with the same vegetables I used in the sauce. It is delicious on any kind of pasta, however, especially when served with generous gratings of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Red Sauce with Secret Vegetables
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound each (about ½ kilo) white or cremini mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, and carrots, or whichever vegetables you like or need to use up
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (adjust to your preferred spice level – I use a whole tablespoon)
- 1 pound (about ½ kilo) Italian sausage (optional)
- ¾ cup (200 mL) dry white or stock
- 2 large cans (28oz or 800g each) whole San Marzano plum tomatoes, crushed with your hands before adding, or puréed in a blender
- Kosher salt to taste
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
- Clean the mushrooms, brushing off any dirt and trimming the base of the stems. Clean the remaining vegetables and set aside (there is no need to peel the carrots).
Step 2
- Although you can finely chop the vegetables by hand, it is much faster to use a food processor. Chop or process the mushrooms and set aside. The rest of the vegetables can be chopped or processed together, and set aside in a separate bowl.
Step 3
- Using a wide, deep saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, season lightly with kosher salt, and cook until well-browned and all of the water has cooked out. Add the remaining vegetables, season again with salt, and stir. Again, cook until browned and any water has evaporated.
Step 4
- While the vegetables are cooking, brown the Italian sausage in a separate skillet. Pour off the fat, and set aside.
Step 5
- Add remaining olive oil to the pan, and add the garlic and crushed red pepper, stirring for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Do not allow the garlic to brown. Add the browned Italian sausage, and stir to combine. Turn the heat to medium-high, add the wine, and allow to cook for 2 minutes.
Step 6
- Add the tomatoes, and stir to combine. If you have fresh tomatoes sitting around that you need to use up, you can throw these in, too.
Step 7
- Simmer on medium-low, bubbling very gently (tomato sauce splatters and burns easily, so be careful to keep your pan from getting too hot).
Step 8
- Your sauce will be ready in about 30 minutes, or when most of the water is cooked off and you have a nice, thick sauce.* The longer you let it cook, the deeper and richer the flavor becomes. I like to let mine simmer gently for several hours.
Step 9
- Add salt to taste. I like a little sweetness in my sauce to offset the acidity of the tomatoes, so I usually add 1-2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar. Others add a little sugar. Some add a Parmesan rind to the last stage of cooking. Fresh herbs, like basil, also add a nice flavor, so experiment and see what you like!
Step 10
- This sauce will have some texture to it, depending on how finely you have chopped your vegetables. If you prefer a smooth sauce, wait to add the meat. Purée the sauce in a blender once cooked, return to the pan, add the browned Italian sausage, and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes before serving. This sauce keeps well in the freezer for 3-4 months.
*You can help this along by cooking a pot of spaghetti (or other pasta) two minutes short of al dente, draining it, and finishing it directly in the sauce, as the pasta will absorb additional moisture.
Optional: You can make this sauce with fresh tomatoes when in season. Double the quantity because of their high water content, and roast them in the oven before making the sauce.
Serving Suggestion: Serve with your favorite pasta, or use as a sauce for lasagna.
