Last-Minute Pasta Sauce

You know that sinking feeling when you realise you’re going to have to make a last minute dash to the local convenience shop with a tired, grumpy toddler on a hot day? Yeah that. Sausage meatballs were sizzling in the pan, I went to find the chopped tomatoes and…the cupboard was bare! But in a sudden moment of steely resolve, I decided I don’t need those big, corporate tomato choppers! I can chop my own tomatoes, and better, too!

Last-Minute Pasta Sauce

I pretty much used whatever veg I could lay my hands on. On this occasion, that included:

2 slightly squishy tomatoes
3 peppers – red and yellow
1 courgette
1 tbsp tomato puree (not technically veg, but still)

Dice your vegetables and add them to the blender, along with the tomato puree and a little water, and blend. You can leave it chunky or leave the blender running for a little longer to get a smoother sauce. If you have a hand blender, then I would soften the vegetables in a pan first of all, and add a little water just before blending.

This made plenty of sauce and we now have a jar in the fridge for another day. It’s also great way to get a bit more veg into your kids if they’re not keen!

Recipe for Sausage and Veggie Sauce Pasta

1 jar of Veggie Sauce (above)
6 sausages
1 onion, diced
A handful of fresh basil, chopped
1-2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Red wine (as much as you like. Ideally have a glass on the go while you’re cooking.)

1. Sauté the onions in a little oil. While they are cooking, squeeze the sausage meat out of the sausages and separate into smaller pieces – 4 or 5 per sausage. These don’t need to be neat. Add them to the pan and fry until browned.
2. Add your veggie sauce follower by the balsamic vinegar, basil and wine, and stir. Allow to simmer gently for around twenty minutes, adding a little water if it begins to get too thick.
3. Serve with pasta of your choice, and grated cheese.

Enjoy!