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    Home > Vegan Pasta Sauces

    Vegetable Pasta Sauce (7 Hidden Veggies)

    By Nandor Barta on 10/06/2024 - May contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure.

    Jump to Recipe Print Pin

    This hidden vegetable pasta sauce is a delicious and sneaky way to load up on veggies. It is loaded with seven different vegetables, is creamy without using any dairy, and is so delicious that even picky eaters will be licking their bowls clean.

    A red Dutch oven full of vegetable pasta sauce topped with fresh basil leaves photographed from above on a blue board.

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    It can be tough to get all your servings of veggies in a day, but this pasta sauce makes it easy. You can enjoy it with your favorite pasta, or even use it as a pizza sauce or in lasagna. It is so versatile and a great way to add more vegetables to your diet without feeling like you are missing out on flavor.

    If you enjoy hidden veggie recipes, you should also try my vegan sweet potato brownies and sweet potato chocolate pudding.

    Jump to:
    • ❤️ Why you’ll love it
    • 🧾 Key ingredients
    • 🥘 Equipment
    • 👩‍🍳 Instructions
    • 💡 Expert tip
    • 🔄 Variations
    • 🥣 Serving ideas
    • ❄️ Storing tips
    • 🤔 FAQs
    • More pasta sauce recipes
    • Vegetable Pasta Sauce (7 Hidden Veggies)

    ❤️ Why you’ll love it

    I absolutely love how this recipe is more than just a simple tomato sauce. It is a thick, creamy, and rich sauce that is perfect for any type of pasta. The best part is that it is a great way to get in those extra veggies, making it a hit with picky eaters or anyone who struggles with weird textures of vegetables and is looking for a meatless pasta option.

    The combination of zucchini, carrots, celery, and chickpeas not only adds a variety of textures but also makes this sauce a nutrient-packed one-pot wonder. It is a great way to meal prep as it can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    The secret to this sauce is the way the vegetables are cooked and then blended. This not only helps to soften the vegetables and develop their flavors but also creates a smooth and velvety texture that is hard to resist.

    A red Dutch oven full of vegetable pasta sauce topped with fresh basil leaves photographed from above on a blue board.
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    🧾 Key ingredients

    This vegan pasta sauce is a celebration of fresh, simple ingredients that come together to make a delicious, hearty sauce. You will find most of these ingredients at your local grocery store.

    Zucchini, carrots, and celery are the heart of this sauce. They are finely chopped and sauté to bring out their natural sweetness. When combined with the tomato sauce, they give the sauce a rich, hearty texture.

    Chickpeas are a key ingredient in this recipe. They add a unique twist, providing a source of plant-based protein. They are a great way to make the sauce more filling and satisfying.

    Nutritional yeast is a vegan pantry staple. It adds a cheesy, umami flavor to the sauce, making it incredibly delicious.

    🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    🥘 Equipment

    For this vegetable pasta sauce recipe, a high-quality blender is an absolute must. It is the key to achieving a smooth and creamy consistency for the sauce. I cannot stress enough how much of a difference a good blender makes in this recipe.

    👩‍🍳 Instructions

    Preparing the ingredients

    STEP 1
    Begin by peeling and chopping one onion and three garlic cloves. Next, wash and chop two stalks of celery.

    STEP 2
    Then, wash, peel, and chop two medium-sized carrots. Follow this by washing, peeling, and chopping one medium-sized zucchini.

    Making the vegetable pasta sauce

    STEP 1
    Heat a stockpot or a Dutch oven to medium heat and add two tablespoons of olive oil. Start by cooking the chopped onion for one to two minutes. Then, add the chopped garlic and cook for a few seconds.

    Chopped onion and garlic in a white red enamelled Dutch oven.

    STEP 2
    Proceed by adding the sliced carrots to the pot. Stir and cook for five to six minutes. After that, add the chopped zucchini to the pot, along with a pinch of salt.

    Chopped onion, garlic, zucchini, and sliced carrots in a white red enamelled Dutch oven.

    STEP 3
    Season the vegetables with half a teaspoon of black pepper, one teaspoon of dried basil, and one teaspoon of oregano. Stir the ingredients until they are well combined.

    Chopped onion, garlic, zucchini, and sliced carrots with a small heap of dried green herbs in a white red enamelled Dutch oven.

    STEP 4
    Add the chopped celery to the pot. Stir to incorporate it with the other vegetables. Then, pour in one can of tomato sauce.

    Chopped onion, garlic, zucchini, and sliced carrots covered in red tomato sauce in a white red enamelled Dutch oven.

    STEP 5
    Continue to cook the vegetables until they are soft. This should take about 10-15 minutes. Once the vegetables are soft, add one can of drained chickpeas to the pot. Cook for an additional one to two minutes to warm up the chickpeas.

    Veggie chunks covered with red tomato sauce and a large heap of chickpeas in a white red enamelled Dutch oven.

    STEP 6
    For extra flavor, add two tablespoons of nutritional yeast to the pot. This is optional, but it adds a delicious, cheesy flavor to the sauce.

    Veggie chunks and chickpeas covered with red tomato sauce and a small heap of yellow flakes in a white red enamelled Dutch oven.

    STEP 7
    Once all the vegetables are ready, transfer them to a blender. Blend the ingredients until you have a creamy vegetable pasta sauce.

    Veggie chunks covered with red tomato sauce in a blender.
    Thick orange sauce in a blender.

    💡 Expert tip

    Chopping your vegetables evenly and small is the key to reducing the cooking time of this recipe. The smaller you cut the veggies, the faster they will soften in the sauce, allowing you to prepare this delicious, healthy meal in no time.

    🔄 Variations

    For a spicy twist, try adding a teaspoon of red pepper flakes or a dash of cayenne pepper. This will give your sauce a kick and add a bold, fiery flavor that pairs well with the sweet, tangy tomatoes and the earthy chickpeas.

    You can also roast the vegetables before adding them to the sauce. This will add a rich, caramelized flavor to the sauce and give it a slightly smoky undertone. Simply toss the chopped vegetables with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast them in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 20-25 minutes, or until they are tender and slightly charred. Then add them to the sauce as directed.

    If you prefer a smoother sauce, consider peeling the zucchini and the carrots before chopping them. This will give your sauce a silkier texture, and it’s a great way to sneak in some extra nutrients from the vegetable skins.

    A bowl with vegetable sauce on top of spaghetti sprinkled with vegan parmesan and topped with fresh basil leaves. In the background red Dutch Oven with remaining pasta sauce

    🥣 Serving ideas

    This versatile veggie pasta sauce can be used in a variety of ways. It is a delicious and healthy alternative to store-bought tomato sauce. You can use it to top your favorite pasta dishes, such as spaghetti, fettucini, or penne, instead of a bolognese sauce.

    Plus, it is a great accompaniment to a wide range of vegan dishes. For example, you can serve it with sweet potato gnocchi or use it to make vegan meatballs. It pairs particularly well with falafels, eggplant meatballs, or mushroom meatballs.

    You can also use it as a base for other classic dishes. It is a great addition to a vegan lasagna, adding a depth of flavor and a boost of nutrition. It can also be used in place of a traditional tomato sauce in chili, ratatouille, or shakshuka.

    Close-up of a bowl with vegetable sauce on top of spaghetti sprinkled with vegan parmesan and topped with fresh basil leaves

    ❄️ Storing tips

    Storing and reheating this vegetable pasta sauce is super easy, and the best part is, that the flavors just keep getting better with time!

    To store, allow it to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, making it a perfect make-ahead option for busy weeknights.

    If you want to freeze it, it’s best to do so without the pasta. The sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months. Just be sure to use a freezer-safe container, leaving some room at the top for expansion.

    To reheat, simply transfer the sauce to a pot and warm it over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it is heated through. If you are reheating from frozen, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before heating it on the stovetop.

    🤔 FAQs

    What other veggies can you hide?

    You can add other root vegetables such as parsnips, rutabagas, or celeriac. You can also add 2-3 medium-sized root veggies in addition to the ones listed in the recipe. However, keep in mind that the more veggies you add, the less the sauce will resemble a traditional tomato sauce.

    What else can you add?

    If you want to increase the protein content of the sauce, you can add other legumes such as lentils or beans. However, if you want to maintain the traditional tomato sauce flavor, it is best to stick with chickpeas or white/cannellini beans.

    Which pasta to choose?

    You can use any type of pasta for this recipe. Whether it’s fettucini, spaghetti, penne, or even homemade sweet potato gnocchi, the choice is yours.

    More pasta sauce recipes

    We have a collection of more than 30 easy and delicious vegan pasta recipes, or check out the below ones:

    • White bowl with tortiglioni pasta covered in green pesto topped with cherry tomato halves and sprinkled with yellow flakes.
      Easy Vegan Pesto Pasta
    • Large white frying pan with red pesto spaghetti topped with green-yellow tofu cubes, shredded cheese and basil leaves.
      Red Pesto Tofu Pasta
    • Black cast iron skillet with spaghetti in creamy light brown sauce with asparagus, spinach and red pepper slices. Red harissa sauce in a glass jar and a spoon with tahini paste next to it.
      Creamy Harissa Tahini Pasta
    • Large white bowl with brown soba noodles, orange crispy tofu bites, roasted asparagus and black and white sesame seeds. More asparagus and tofu bites are on the side. Chopsticks are placed on the side.
      Spicy Miso Soba Noodles

    THANK YOU so much for visiting our website. Please comment below if you have tried this recipe. We LOVE hearing from you! If you loved the recipe, please don’t forget to give us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ RATING. We appreciate all of our readers.  

    Different colorful vegetables drawn as icons on an orange background in a shape of a heart.

    ⇒ GET OUR FREE 7-DAY VEGAN MEAL PLAN E-BOOK NOW! OR CHECK OUT ALL VEGAN MEAL PLAN RECIPES! ⇐

    Red and white dutch oven with a smooth creamy light red sauce topped with basil leaves.

    Vegetable Pasta Sauce (7 Hidden Veggies)

    Emese Maczko
    This hidden vegetable pasta sauce is a delicious and sneaky way to load up on veggies. It is loaded with seven different vegetables, is creamy without using any dairy, and is so delicious that even picky eaters will be licking their bowls clean.
    4.9 from 15 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Main Course, Sauce
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 203kcal

    Equipment

    • Cast-iron Dutch Oven (3-quart / 2.8 liter)
    • Stockpot
    • our Vitamix A2300
    • Regular blender
    • Immersion hand blender with 20 fl oz container

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 tbsp Olive oil
    • 1 Onion (medium)
    • 2-3 cloves Garlic
    • 2 Zucchini
    • 2 Carrots (medium)
    • 1 Celery stalk
    • 25 oz Sieved tomato puree aka Tomato sauce
    • ½ tsp Oregano dried
    • ½ tsp Basil dried
    • 1 + ½ cup Chickpeas (canned)
    • 1 Tbsp Nutritional yeast
    • Salt and Pepper to taste
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    EXCLUSIVE 5-ingredient recipes for busy home cooks that are ready in 15 minutes!Check out our Express Vegan Cookbook!

    Instructions
     

    Prepare the ingredients

    • Peel and chop onion and garlic.
    • Wash and chop celery.
    • Wash, peel, and chop carrots and zucchini.

    Let’s make veggie pasta sauce

    • Heat a stockpot or a Dutch oven to medium heat and add olive oil.
    • Cook chopped onion for 1-2 minutes, add chopped garlic and cook for a few seconds.
    • Add sliced carrots. Stir and cook for 5-6 minutes.
    • Add zucchini cubes with salt (it will help to release the moisture in the zucchini).
    • Add black pepper, dried basil, and oregano and stir until combined.
    • Add celery stalk and stir again.
    • Add tomato sauce and cook veggies until soft. 
    • Finally, add canned chickpeas without water and cook for 1-2 minutes until they warm up. Add nutritional yeast (optional) and stir. Now, the veggies are ready for blending. 
    • Add all veggies to a blender and blend until you get a creamy veggie pasta sauce.
    Tried this recipe? Can we see it?Please share a picture with us by uploading an image to Pinterest below ours.

    Notes

    What other veggies can you add?

    I would happily add any of the following veggies: other root vegetables (parsnip, rutabaga, celeriac) instead of carrots or celery. There is also some room to add 2-3 medium-sized root veggies in addition to the above list without altering the taste. However, the more veggies you add, the lesser will the sauce taste as a tomato sauce. 

    What else can you add?

    You can certainly add other legumes (lentils or beans) to make the sauce loaded with even more protein. However, to keep it as a tomato spaghetti sauce, we recommend sticking with chickpeas or white/cannellini beans as they have the least beany taste. 

    How to use this vegetable pasta sauce?

    You can use this pasta sauce as you would use any store-bought tomato sauce:
    • Top your pasta instead of vegan spaghetti bolognese
    • Serve this sweet potato gnocchi with it
    • Add it to meatballs (like vegan eggplant meatballs, vegan mushroom meatballs or vegan chickpea meatballs)
    • Layer it within this vegan lasagna
    • Spread it on pizza instead of a vegan marinara sauce or our no-cook vegan pizza sauce
    • Add it to vegan chili bean instead of a tomato sauce
    • Use it in ratatouille or vegan chickpea shakshuka
    • Add it to vegan stuffed portobello mushrooms, peppers, butternut squash or zucchini stuffing
    What else would you use a veggie spaghetti sauce for? Let us know in the comments. 

    Video

    [adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”3DhjN2Ig” upload-date=”2020-12-28T13:34:37.000Z” name=”Healthy Vegetable Pasta Sauce” description=”This healthy vegetable sauce is loaded with SEVEN different veggies (including a legume for extra protein) and blended into a creamy hidden veggie tomato pasta sauce. It is so delicious and creamy that I guarantee you even your kids will lick the bowl. Ours definitely does that. It is vegan, gluten-free as always. ” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”true”]

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegetable Pasta Sauce (7 Hidden Veggies)
    Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
    Calories 203 Calories from Fat 54
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 6g9%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 3g
    Sodium 252mg11%
    Potassium 1309mg37%
    Carbohydrates 34g11%
    Fiber 9g38%
    Sugar 14g16%
    Protein 9g18%
    Vitamin A 6214IU124%
    Vitamin C 41mg50%
    Calcium 93mg9%
    Iron 5mg28%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    945 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.87 from 15 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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    1. Anonymous

      April 17, 2021 at 11:36 am

      4 stars
      It’s delicious and guilt free! I’m trying to incorperate more vegetables into my diet. I’m not sure, maybe my measuring was off but it was missing a touch of acidity or brightness, so I added a squeeze of fresh lemon. I do have one question regarding portion size. 196 calories per serving, but what is the serving size?

      Reply
      • My Pure Plants

        April 17, 2021 at 2:42 pm

        Thank you for trying our recipe. We are so glad you like it. I used my 3-quart pan which was not totally full. The recipe gives you approx. 4 servings, which means 1 serving should be less than 1 cup of sauce.

        Reply
    2. Farah Abumaizar

      February 17, 2020 at 9:05 am

      5 stars
      This looks so silky smooth and delicious! Can’t get over how healthy it is and I will definitely be trying this out on my little ones!

      Reply
      • My Pure Plants

        February 17, 2020 at 11:31 am

        We also tested it on our picky daughters. Both of them are loving it. It became a weekly regular.

        Reply
    3. Tayo

      February 17, 2020 at 4:14 am

      5 stars
      This looks amazing! Such a great way to get a whole lot of nutrients in without eating a whole lot of vegetables!

      Reply
      • My Pure Plants

        February 17, 2020 at 11:32 am

        The whole idea of hiding veggies came from the fact that my daughter only wanted pasta with red sauce. Well, it is a red sauce indeed.

        Reply
    4. Jayne

      February 17, 2020 at 3:03 am

      5 stars
      I love this sauce. The flavor just pops with pasta. So good with a nice glass of wine.

      Reply
      • My Pure Plants

        February 17, 2020 at 11:32 am

        Absolutely. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Krissy Allori

      February 17, 2020 at 2:56 am

      This is a great sauce. Bursting with flavor. I also love that I can make a big batch and freeze it to use as needed.

      Reply
      • My Pure Plants

        February 17, 2020 at 11:33 am

        Yes, it is perfect for batch cooking and freezing. Keeps very well.

        Reply
    6. Erica Schwarz

      February 17, 2020 at 1:01 am

      5 stars
      I can’t wait to make this and sneak in all this veggie goodness into my family and they will have no idea! Making this this week, thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
      • My Pure Plants

        February 17, 2020 at 11:33 am

        Be sure to let us know how you like it.

        Reply

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    Portrait of Emese and Nandi My Pure Plants

    Hi, we are Emese Maczkó and Nándor Barta, the founders and recipe creators behind My Pure Plants. We are sharing our knowledge and expertise in vegan recipes and encourage you to try home-cooked meals using locally-sourced, organic, whole foods.

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    Portrait of Emese and Nandi My Pure Plants

    Hi, we are Emese Maczkó and Nándor Barta, the founders and recipe creators behind My Pure Plants. We are sharing our knowledge and expertise in vegan recipes and encourage you to try home-cooked meals using locally-sourced, organic, whole foods.

    More about us →

    Reader Favorites

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