About this Recipe

By: Rachel

Have you have ever found yourself at the end of the week with a refrigerator full of not-at-their-prime vegetables? If you are like me, you probably have. Fortunately, though, you don’t have to choose between throwing them out or dining on so-so produce. I’ll show you how to use leftover vegetables in sauce that’s rich, robust, and delicious.

What To Do With Too Many Vegetables

I absolutely love vegetables, which means that I tend to go overboard when I’m shopping, especially if I’m at my local Farmers’ Market. No matter how much I try and stick to my list, I get hopelessly lured in by the tempting and often dizzying array of colors, flavors, and vegetables on offer.

My tendency to overbuy, combined with the Things That Come Up every week, means that I don’t always get the chance to use up all of the veggies in my refrigerator. I created this easy pasta sauce recipe to hide leftover vegetables—that way, nothing goes to waste. As a bonus, you get a delicious red sauce and a way to incorporate more vegetables into your diet. It is the perfect pasta sauce for picky eaters who need a little encouragement to eat their veggies.

How To Use Leftover Vegetables In Sauce That Still Tastes Delicious

You can’t really discern the taste of all these vegetables in your finished product. The sauce tastes a little more complex in a way no one can quite put their finger on. 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 or using with the same vegetables I used in the sauce. I also love to serve it with my homeade meatballs. It is delicious on any kind of pasta, of course, especially when served with generous gratings of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Red Sauce with Secret Vegetables

This flavorful red sauce is a great way to use up the leftover vegetables you have in your refrigerator—or to sneak some veggies into any picky mouths you might have in your household.

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Ready In 1

Meal Type Stocks & Sauces

Good For Italian, Vegan, Vegetarian

Yield servings

Equipment

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 minced garlic
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (adjust to your preferred spice level – I use a whole tablespoon)
6 ounces (170g) tomato paste
¾ cup (200 mL) dry white wine or stock
2 large cans (28oz or 800g each) whole San Marzano tomatoes crushed with your hands before adding, or puréed in a blender
Kosher salt to taste
1 pound (about ½ kilo) Italian sausage (optional)

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. (If you are adding Italian sausage, you can move to the next step while the mushrooms are cooking).
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 tomato paste and continue stirring for 2 minutes, allowing it to caramelize. Add the white wine, and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Step 6

Add the San Marzano 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.
However, 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, purée with an immersion blender.
Now add the Italian sausage, if using, and stir to combine. Allow to simmer gently for 20 minutes, allowing the flavors to marry.