Pasta is something that we enjoy around here, but with every meal that I make, I like to add as many vegetables to it as I can to make it really colorful and healthy.

When I make pasta, I like to make my own homemade tomato sauce to go along with it. This new sauce recipe that I have perfected is loaded with fresh vegetables from our garden. This year we had some pepper plants, and many beautiful yellow zucchini as well.

They were beautiful ingredients to add to the sauce recipe!

Easy Chunky Garden Vegetable Tomato Sauce

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 6 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 3 medium carrots, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 2 teaspoons basil
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• pinch of ground black pepper
• pinch of sodium-free Hebamare
• 1 (796 ml) can no salt added diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 (156 ml) can tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup or 10 drops liquid original alcohol-free stevia, sweeten to taste.

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat
2. Add the diced onion and crushed garlic and cook a few minutes, until fragrant.
3. Add the diced carrots, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring a few times throughout.*
4. Add the diced peppers and zucchini, basil, oregano, thyme, Herbamare, and black pepper. Continue to cook covered, 13-15 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste and maple syrup or stevia drops. Stir and simmer a few minutes more to bring all of the flavors together.

*I like to add a bit of water to the skillet to help the vegetables cook and not stick to the pan, as needed, a few tablespoons.

Serve with your favorite type of pasta and vegan parmesan or regular parmesan cheese!

Enjoy! 🙂