Mega Veg Pizza/Pasta Sauce

I was sent an Optimum 9400 from Froothie to try out.  It is brilliant! I will be blogging more about this fab gadget along with a few smoothie recipes, a chocolate mouse recipe and several soups all made in the blender.  I thought I would blog this delicious and versatile pizza/pasta sauce first though as I made a huge vat of it to freeze.  This recipe is great for hiding vegetables, should you need to, and also useful for using up vegetables languishing in the vege draw of the fridge.  

We use this sauce as a pasta sauce, pizza sauce or thinned down with a little vegetable stock to make a delicious and flavoursome tomato soup.

I decided to soften the vegetables before blending, however you can make a sauce or soup by putting raw vegetables in the blender as Jac from Tinned Tomatoes has done with her delicious Rich Tomato Blender Soup.  

Mega Veg Pizza/Pasta Sauce

2 Tblsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 peppers, diced

2 celery sticks, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 courgettes, finely diced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and finely diced or grated
1 Tblsp dried Italian mixed herbs
1 Tblsp light soft brown sugar
1 Tblsp Balsamic vinegar
4 Tblsp tomato paste
2 x 400g can crushed tomatoes

In a large saucepan over a moderate heat, saute the prepared vegetables until softened.  Add in the herbs, sugar, vinegar and tomato paste along with the tinned tomatoes.  Mix really well to combine then cover and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes.  Cool the sauce for a few minutes.  Blitz the sauce up and use on pizza bases or mix through cooked pasta.  This recipe makes a large quantity of sauce which freezes well and is perfect for a quick supper option.  

I used the Optimum 9400 from Froothie to blend the sauce in two batches, so much easier than a stick blender which I previously used.  

I'm linking this recipe up with No Waste Food Challenge as we used up the remaining vegetables in our fridge before before our next weekly shop was delivered.  The challenge was created by Elizabeth and is being hosted this month by Laura.

I am also joining in with Extra Veg, a monthly blog challenge devised by Helen and I and hosted this month by Sarah.  Extra Veg encourages us all to add extra vegetables to our meals.