Who says pasta has to be off-limits?! This kid-friendly and healthy pasta sauce recipe is full of vegetables without any added sugar.
I know, I know. Pasta isn’t generally considered “healthy”. But hear me out on this one, okay?
We’re in the trenches of the winter months here in Maryland. It’s wet, gray and dreary most days. It’s cold enough to chill you to your bones but doesn’t have the decency to snow enough for the kids to really go out and play in it.
These are the days I long for comfort food. And for me, comfort food is pasta.
I grew up with ‘pasta night’ every Wednesday. My father would take a whole Saturday to make a giant pot of the family recipe that would later turn into spaghetti with meatballs, lasagna, and stuffed shells.
Sadly, he’s never shared his secret recipe with me…even after plenty of begging.
BUT, aside from plenty of seasonings, what I remember most is that the family sauce required a good bit of sugar to balance out the acid in the tomatoes. That’s definitely not healthy.
Years ago, I bought a copy of the book Cook Once a Week, Eat Well Everyday. Aside from how it changed the way I look at leftovers, it gave me the basis for what would become my go-to healthy pasta sauce.
The Best No Sugar Homemade Pasta Sauce Recipe
I don’t think you can call any well-flavored meat-based pasta sauce healthier than this. It’s all about the vegetables. And, instead of adding sugar to balance out acidity, it uses a super secret vegetable…
mashed winter squash.
Yes! Squash in pasta sauce!
The natural sugars in the squash are a fantastic counterpoint to the tomatoes while adding a few extra vitamins and some fiber.
After some research, I also found that draining and rinsing higher fat content ground beef can significantly reduce the saturated fat content.
Fair warning, though: doing this can reduce some of the ground beef flavor, which I balance by cooking the beef in the stockpot that is going to hold the sauce.
Cooking the vegetables in the small amount of remaining beef fat avoids the need for any additional fats and also imparts a bit more of the beef flavor into the sauce.
This is our family’s favorite sauce to gobble up on pasta night. Honestly, I’ll even eat the sauce by itself with a spoon sometimes. (Don’t tell the kids)
What you’ll need
This recipe makes a triple batch, which is perfect for preparing LOTS of different pasta recipes to freeze for busy weeknights. So get your things together to make it as easy as possible:
- 12 Quart Stockpot
- Colander or sieve (I like to use the insert from an over-the-sink cutting board, similar to this one)
- Immersion blender
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Wooden spoon with a long handle
- Empty jars for draining beef fat
Homemade Pasta Sauce Recipe
Healthy Homemade Pasta Sauce Recipe
Who says pasta has to be off-limits?! This kid-friendly and healthy pasta sauce recipe is full of vegetables without any added sugar.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey with Italian seasoning
- 2 pounds lean ground beef or ground turkey breast
- 3 onions, diced
- 8 carrots, diced
- 3 bell peppers, any color, seeded, cored and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 T Italian seasoning
- 1 T fennel seed, optional
- 3 packages frozen mashed winter squash
- 3 26- oz cans tomato sauce
- 1 12- oz can tomato paste
- 1 bottle red wine, I prefer something bold like a Cabernet
Instructions
- In a 12 quart stockpot, brown meat over medium-high heat. Remove from stockpot. Drain meat in a colander or sieve, and rinse if desired.
- Cook vegetables over medium heat until soft, starting with the carrots, then bell peppers and finally onions. (This allows the firmer vegetables to soften without burning the onions, which are more tender). Add garlic and Italian seasoning and cook until fragrant; about a minute.
- Add squash and heat through. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste and wine. Using an immersion blender, puree the sauce until smooth. Add fennel seed (if using) and return ground meat to the pot
- Simmer for 2 hours on low. Enjoy with high-fiber pasta or spaghetti squash.
Notes
- This recipe is for a triple-batch of sauce, made to fit in a 12-quart stockpot
- To store for later use: Let mixture cool completely. Spoon about 5-6 cups into a gallon-sized bag and freeze flat. (Note: Each 5-6 cup portion feeds our family for two meals with some additional leftovers)
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
Now, It’s Your Turn
Seriously, this pasta sauce is the BEST. Anytime we stray with jarred sauce, it’s just not the same. But, it’s not just the flavor that makes it awesome:
- It’s loaded with vegetables
- You can limit saturated fat by rinsing the beef (if you want)
- There is no added sugar, and
- It’s totally kid-friendly, for even the pickiest eaters!
Let’s just call this a winner, winner, pasta dinner!
What is your favorite comfort food?
Do you have any tips for making your favorite comfort foods healthier?
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Teresa says
Sounds great. I usually make my own past sauce too, but with a lot less ingredients. Yours sounds a lot richer and tastier. Thank you for sharing the recipe at The Really Crafty Link Party. Pinned!
Jess says
What a neat way to get kids to eat those veggies! 🙂
I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Leanna says
Spaghetti is absolutely my favorite meal. Recently Hubs and are are reducing carbs so now Spaghetti made with spaghetti squash is my favorite food. This looks like a wonderful healthy sauce, I am intrigued by the carrot in it. Pinning.
judee says
Nothing e a good sauce. My dad used to cook an all day spaghetti sauce every Sunday- He used a package of something called spatini ( don’t know if they even make it anymore) but it had sugar and chemicals. Who knew in those days that it wasn’t healthy. – WE had spaghetti and Meatballs for dinner every Sunday
Dagmar Bleasdale says
thank you, Leslie for joining my latest link party and for sharing your delicious pasta sauce post. I never added squash to my tomato sauce but will try now after reading your blog post! I hope to welcome you back soon again, warm regards,
Dagmar Bleasdale
http://www.dagmarbleasdale.com
Jann Olson says
Always trying to eat healthier! Thanks for sharing your recipe with SYC. The mashed winter squash sounds interesting.
hugs,
Jann
Jenny says
This sauce sounds delicious. I love winter squash and I am looking forward to trying this. Thanks for sharing at the #HomeMattersParty
Natalie A says
I’m a spaghetti lover! I always love finding new recipes for sauce! I love that this recipe has yummy ingredients in it and this is a healthy version! I have pinned this recipe so I have it saved! Thank you for sharing!
Lynda Hardy says
I’m right across the Potomac in VA, and I agree – winter needs good hearty meals! This sauce looks delicious! I’ve used squash to thicken soup and stews – now I have to try it in some pasta sauce! Thanks for sharing with Party in Your PJs!
Jay @ JayTriedAndTrue says
Your post has been featured on Smell Good Sunday! I hope you will join us again this week https://jaytriedandtrue.blogspot.com/2018/02/smell-good-sunday-51.html
Elise Ho says
Winter Squash is a fascinating addition. I could totally see it tasting good and it definitely pushed up the health factor.