Well hello! It has been quite awhile since we’ve had a post on this blog because business has been BUSY. With the kiddos gearing up for back-to-school, however, this is our favorite time to share some family-friendly recipes. Food 4 Success dietitian Carrie Gustafson RDN, LD shares a delicious way to get those veggies in with a pasta sauce that is incredibly versatile, Veggie Power Pasta Sauce. Use this vegetable pasta sauce for also pizza sauce, as a dip, or even just pouring it on some toasted bread with melted cheese on top. It is also a great make-ahead sauce to keep in your freezer when you need to pull a meal out of thin air for hungry stomachs.
Veggie Power Pasta Sauce
A delicious and highly versatile sauce that meets those veggie needs!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 3 celery stalks, trimmed and finely chopped
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 zucchini, finely chopped
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, no added salt
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 15 oz can chicken or vegetable broth, reduced sodium
Pita Bread Pizza
- 1 cup previously made veggie power pasta sauce
- 4 pita bread pockets
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup diced olives
- 1/2 cup diced ham or pepperoni slices optional
Instructions
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Heat the oil in a LARGE saucepan, over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and mixed herbs and stir for a couple of minutes.
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Add remaining vegetables except for spinach. Cook for 20 minutes. Mix and rotate vegetable with spatula to allow them to cook evenly; cook until soften.
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Add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, and stock. Bring to a boil for1-2 minutes.
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Reduce heat and simmerfor another 20 mins. Add spinach the last 5-10 min.
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Let sauce cool then pour into blender and blend until smooth.
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Serve immediately or freeze in small freezer bags for future use.
Pita Bread Pizza In Minutes! (4 servings)
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Place 2-3 tbsp of sauce on top of round pita bread.
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Top each pita with 1/4 cup of mozzarella.
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Add olives and ham/pepperoni as desired.
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Cook in oven at 350 degrees until cheese is melted.
Recipe Notes
Helpful tips:
- Use as a sauce for spaghetti, lasagna, pizzas, or even as a dipping sauce.
- Store in small freezer bags for future use.
- You can use any bread available for pizza, although it is best to toast breads other than pita first so it doesn’t get too soggy.
- Add any vegetables your kids like to add more nutrition. This works great for picky eaters!
Things here at Food 4 Success, LLC have been very busy and our little practice is growing. We now have 2 additional dietitians – Carrie and Atlanta- to better meet demand and spread credible nutrition advice to our community. Learn more about them here. We continue to see individuals, families in our office or by telehealth, we are presenting to local organizations on a variety of topics. We also continue with our EatLove meal planning service. If you are in need of more healthy but easy recipes like these, I encourage you to check out how this dietitian-supervised app works. It has been a meal time game changer for many of our clients! Until next time…
