Spaghetti with Hidden Vegetable Pasta Sauce
This week I had a killer craving for some classic spaghetti and meat sauce. But, as you may know, I like to add vegetables whenever and wherever I can to recipes. So I shredded a couple of handfuls of vegetables, tossed them into the sauce, and added some extra herbs and spices to make this absolutely incredible “hidden vegetable” pasta sauce. It has more flavor, more color, and more texture (read: fiber). It’s a win-win-win!
Originally posted 11-21-2015, updated 4-17-2021.
Shown with Homemade Garlic Bread.
Balance Your Costs with Vegetables
My favorite trick for stretching ground meat in recipes is to use vegetables or beans to replace half of the ground meat. This time I shredded vegetables, which mimicked the texture of the ground meat, but added a subtle sweetness and a whole lot of extra flavor, texture, and nutrition to the sauce. This sauce is so delicious that I couldn’t stop sneaking spoonfuls while I took photos!
Can I Make This Sauce Vegetarian?
If you want to make a vegetarian version of this hidden vegetable pasta sauce, I suggest mincing an 8oz. container of mushrooms and sautéing them with the onions and garlic. The minced texture will mimic the ground meat and mushrooms have that umami flavor that is similar to ground meat.
Is Hidden Vegetable Pasta Sauce Freezer Friendly?
This sauce freezes great if you want to make a double batch and have it on hand in your freezer for busy nights. Just make sure to cool the sauce completely in the refrigerator first, then transfer to the freezer. The sauce will stay good in the freezer for months. To reheat, empty the freezer container into a sauce pot and heat over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
Spaghetti with Hidden Vegetable Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 small zucchini ($0.57)
- 2 carrots ($0.16)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.25)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1/2 lb. ground beef ($2.50)
- 1/2 tsp dried basil ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp Freshly cracked black pepper ($0.03)
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper (optional) ($0.02)
- 1 24oz. jar pasta sauce* ($1.49)
- 12 oz. spaghetti ( $0.75)
Instructions
- Use a cheese grater to grate the zucchini and carrots. You'll want about 1.5 cups of each, but the amount is flexible. Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
- Add the olive oil and ground beef to a large, deep skillet. Cook the ground beef over medium heat until it is fully browned. Add the diced onion and garlic and continue to sauté a few minutes more, or until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add the shredded zucchini and carrots to the skillet along with the basil, oregano, salt, freshly cracked pepper, and a pinch of red pepper. Continue to sauté until the vegetables are wilted (about five minutes).
- Add the pasta sauce to the skillet and stir to combine. Allow the contents of the skillet to come up to a simmer, then turn the heat down to low and simmer the sauce as you prepare the spaghetti. Stir the sauce occasionally as it simmers.
- Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions, then drain in a colander. Return the drained spaghetti to the pot with the heat turned off. Add one cup of the prepared sauce to the pasta and stir to coat. Divide the pasta into serving bowls and top with additional sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Hidden Vegetable Pasta Sauce – Step by Step Photos
Start by preparing your vegetables. Use a cheese grater to grate one small zucchini and two carrots. You’ll want about 1.5 cups each, but this is flexible so don’t sweat it if you have a little more or less. Also dice one yellow onion and mince two cloves of garlic.
Add 1/2 lb. ground beef in a large deep skillet with 1 Tbsp olive oil and cook over medium heat until the beef has browned. Once browned, add the diced onion and minced garlic. Sauté for a few minutes more, or until the onions are soft and translucent.
Add the shredded zucchini and carrots to the skillet along with 1/2 tsp dried basil, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp salt, about ¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional). Continue to sauté the vegetables until they soften, or about five minutes.
Finally, add one 24oz. jar of your favorite pasta sauce and stir to combine. Allow the sauce to come back up to a simmer, then turn the heat down to low and continue to let the contents of the skillet simmer as you begin to prepare your spaghetti.
Stir the sauce occasionally as it simmers. The vegetables will continue to soften as the sauce simmers, further “hiding” them in the sauce.
Cook 12oz. of spaghetti according to the package directions, then drain in a colander. Return the pasta to the cooking pot with the heat turned off and add about 1 cup of the sauce. Stir to coat the pasta with the sauce.
Divide the pasta into serving bowls, then top each bowl with additional sauce. This stuff is seriously so good, my mouth is watering just looking at that bowl!
And don’t forget, this sauce is freezer-friendly! Just make sure to cool it completely in the refrigerator first, then place in a freezer-safe container (I used freezer bags), label, date, and freeze for later! It can be thawed in a saucepot over low, stirring occasionally.
I’ve made this recipe consistently for years now. It’s foolproof. The only thing I’ve changed is tossing the onions in with the raw meat at the beginning, since otherwise I find them too crunchy/raw for my liking. My kids devour it, and I love that there’s less red meat. We make it with ground turkey sometimes, too. So so good.
My kids loved it!
Nice recipe…
I should try to make that. thank you for sharing the recipe, I want to make it but it looks like I have to learn first
I have an Olive Garden “knock off” recipe that calls for grated carrot too. I often substitute cooked lentils for half the meat – combined with whole grain the lentils provide meat quality protein and are cheaper than meat per ounce, plant-protein and high fiber. The zucchini is genius!
What is the serving size? It would be helpful if you could include service sizes for your recipes. Looks tasty!
I love adding grated zucchini & carrots to my warmed pasta sauce (no meat) and then the cooked spaghetti.
Put in casserole dish and top with grated cheese (jack or mozzarella) and some diced green onion.
Bake it in a pan in the oven at 350 for about 25 minutes top if you warmed the sauce first..
Got the idea from a local restaurant. They called it Spaghetti con Queso.
Been making it for years. So good!!!!!
Looks good! We don’t eat beef, though. Do you think it would work with ground Turkey breast?
Thanks
Yes, I think ground turkey would also work well in this. :)
Try cooked lentils in place of beef. It looks like hamburger and when served over whole grain pasta the lentils + grain = whole (meat quality) protein. A little cheese on top adds even more protein. (Tip: cook the lentils in a little water or your favorite stock. Cooking légumes in tomato sauce seems to make them tough)
Also another great place to use riced cauliflower!
So true! Thanks for that reminder!
I’ve been doing this for years and my kids didn’t suspect anything. I got the idea from Lydia Bastianich in one of her cookbooks. The pasta sauce recipe listed carrot, onions and celery as ingredients along with the tomatoes, garlic and herbs, so I’ve been adding all of those ingredients to my sauce, and ripe bell peppers pulsed in a food processor are also delicious. Because I have big eaters, I always use pulsed mushrooms to extend the hamburger, and my son who hates mushrooms loves the sauce. Your sauce looks so delicious with the zucchini and the carrot!
I love the idea of adding mushrooms! Dried mushrooms are a go to ingredient I use to add umami flavor. Sometimes I grind them to powder sometimes just break them into small pieces.
Great recipe! I always add lots of vegetables to spaghetti sauce, but usually keep the veg chunky for a heartier texture.
Grating would blend the veg better with the meat – I’m def. going to try this! Thanks, Beth!
When making homemade tomato sauce, many recipes call for you to add sugar I puree cooked carrots and add that instead. You still get the sweetness, but the carrots add great subtle flavor and have to be healthier for you than straight sugar. And you get all the extra vegetable goodness.
That is a genius idea, I’ll have to do that next time I make sauce!
This recipe is awesome an it’s amazing how this was posted on my Dads 94 th birthday. He’s had a craving for spaghetti. But, he can’t have it due to his swallowing issues. So I made this puréed it on top of puréed mashed sweet potatoes. It was a hit an he loved it. The combinations although sound odd taste well together.
I really miss zucchini in the winter. I even sometimes break down and buy it in the winter!
I love having it my garden and using it all summer long once it starts to “come in”
I prefer it to the spaghetti squash as a low carb replacement for pasta(lets here it for zunoodles).
The other one is french style green beans as a pasta replacement base.
It says recipe updates 4/2021, what was changed from the original recipe (which we LOVE)?
Just photos and text, the recipe didn’t need any changes other than editing the wording for clarity. :)
One of our new favorites!! My husband said he likes this over regular spaghetti.