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This Veggie Packed Meat Sauce packs all the flavor of a traditional pasta sauce but is loaded with hidden veggies. Trick yourself and your family members into eating some extra veggies with this easy pasta sauce.
We couldn’t stop eating this Veggie Packed Meat Sauce!
It’s very rare that I completely clear my plate at dinner. BUT with this sauce, I completely cleared my plate and almost licked it clean.
This pasta sauce is SO loaded with flavor that you and your family won’t even realize how many veggies you’re eating. I chose to use onions, zucchini, and carrots, but you could hide all different types of veggies in this meat sauce if you want to get creative!
What kitchen tools will I need to make this healthy pasta sauce?
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Vegetable peeler
- Frying pan
- Mixing spoon
- Measuring spoons
What ingredients will I need to make this Whole30 dinner?
You will be amazed at how easy it is to make this pasta sauce with just a few simple ingredients! You can use the veggies on this list or whatever you may have on hand!
- Avocado oil
- Yellow onion
- Zucchini
- Carrots
- Ground beef
- Tomato sauce
- Salt
- Pepper
- Dried oregano
- Dried basil
Let’s make some Veggie Packed Meat Sauce!
Step 1: Saute veggies and season
To begin, dice carrots, zucchini, and onion. Then, heat oil over medium heat in a frying pan and add veggies to the pan. Next, add seasonings to the veggies, saute for an additional minute and then remove the veggies from the pan.
Step 2: Brown meat and add sauce
Then, add ground beef to the frying pan and brown for 5 minutes. Season the beef with salt and add tomato sauce to the pan. Next, add the sauteed veggies back into the pan.
Step 3: Simmer
Then, cover the frying pan and simmer the sauce on low for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Finally, remove from the pan and enjoy with your favorite noodles!
Step 4: Enjoy!
How long will this pasta sauce keep in the fridge?
Once prepared, store this sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat this sauce in the microwave or on the stovetop.
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Veggie Packed Meat Sauce
Description
A simple meat sauce that is loaded with extra veggies.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 medium zucchini
- 3 large carrots
- 1 lb ground beef
- 28oz tomato sauce
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
Instructions
- Dice onion, zuchini and peel and dice carrots
- Add oil to a frying pan and heat over medium heat
- Add veggies to the pan with the warm oil and saute for 6 minutes
- Add 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp dried oregano and 1 tsp dried basil to the pan with the veggies
- Saute for another minute and then remove the veggies from the pan
- Leave the heat on medium and add ground beef to the pan
- Brown the meat and cook into crumbles for 4 minutes
- Add 1 tsp of salt to the meat and brown for another minute
- Pour tomato sauce into the pan with the meat and add the seasoned veggies back into the pan
- Cover the pan and simmer the sauce for at leat 1 hour stirring occasionally
- Remove from heat and enjoy with your favorite noodles
Love this recipe! I’ve made it a bunch and it freezes well too. Great way to get in some extra veggies and make a meat sauce more exciting. Paired it with some red lentil or cauliflower pasta, delish!
★★★★★
awesome!! love this!
I LOVE this sauce. I have paired it with zucchini noodles and also spaghetti squash and it is delicious! It’s so easy to make, and it freezes/reheats really well. It is my new go-to, and I try and always have some in the freezer.
That sounds awesome!! Thank you!!