Fresh Tomato & Zucchini Pasta Sauce made in the blender! A versatile marinara sauce that is loaded with sneaky veggies! Vegan, paleo, gluten-free and dairy-free!
Who else loves pasta dishes?! We definitely eat our fair share of them around here! What's not to like?! Noodles...YUM! Rich, Italian flavors...yes please! An excuse to eat copious amounts of parmesan cheese...sign me up!
I created this Tomato & Zucchini Pasta Sauce to make our family's love affair with noodles a little bit healthier and a whole lot more nutritious! Not only is this sauce vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and paleo-friendly...but it uses some of the very best summer produce items...tomatoes and zucchini!
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that this delicious Zucchini Pasta Sauce is made in the Vitamix! We'll talk more about how to make this Tomato & Zucchini Pasta Sauce later...but let me just tell you that the zucchini is completely undetectable because it's blended really well in my favorite kitchen appliance! 😉
Yep. I'm singing "oops I did it again" in my head because I created another recipe that's packed full of fresh zucchini! I can't help myself! It's oh so very easy to add it to this Tomato & Zucchini Pasta Sauce, and my family has absolutely no idea they're eating noodles with an extra serving of veggies!
Zucchini Pasta Sauce: Serving Suggestions
One of the things I absolutely adore about this recipe is it's versatility! You can make a batch to use any dish that calls for pasta sauce! Here are some more of our favorite pasta dishes and great ways to use this sauce:
- Cheesy Sausage Gnocchi is made on repeat around here.
- This Pizza Casserole is one of my family's favorite meals!
- This balsamic tortellini bake is a cozy and comforting dish we all love!
Serve it plain over fresh homemade whole wheat pasta! Or, if you have a meat-lover in your house like I do, sauté some ground beef and then add this Fresh Tomato & Zucchini Pasta Sauce for a healthier twist on the classic Italian meat sauce!
How to make Zucchini Pasta Sauce
- Blend. This recipe is straightforward and simple! Blend everything in the Vitamix {or other high-powered blender or food processor} then transfer to a saucepan and cook.
- Simmer. It's important to let the sauce simmer for a while to allow the flavors to blend. Since tomatoes vary in their sweetness and size, be sure to taste your sauce and adjust the seasonings as you see fit!
- Color Changes. The sauce will become deeper red as it cooks, so if it looks a little pink when you're just done blending done worry!
Tomato & Zucchini Pasta Sauce: Substitutions
As always I recommend making this recipe exactly as written, but here are a few potential substitutions:
Campari tomatoes
You may use heirloom tomatoes in place of Campari tomatoes, or any other vine-ripened, naturally sweeter variety. I do not recommend Roma or beefsteak tomatoes because in my experience they are firmer and less flavorful.
If you have a garden obviously the absolute best results come from tomatoes that you've picked straight from the vine in your own backyard! You can also use 6 cups of canned tomatoes with the liquid {about 4 cans} during the winter months when they aren't in season!
Sugar
Even just a touch of sugar really brings out the natural sweetness in the tomatoes, so I don't recommend omitting it. You can substitute coconut sugar or honey for a paleo and refined-sugar free option!
Spices
Ok, if you know me then you know that I am feeding three kids who can be randomly picky and like their sauce silky smooth. If you really know me then you know that my last two pregnancies forever changed my tastebuds. So much so that I very rarely {if ever} cook with fresh garlic or onions {gasp}! If you'd like to sub fresh herbs for the Italian seasoning {basil, parsley and oregano} by all means do it!
If you'd like to use fresh garlic and onions in place of the onion & garlic powders you're more than welcome to go ahead and do that too! However, you will need to sauté the garlic and onions together with some olive oil until they are soft and fragrant. Once they're cooked, add them to container of your Vitamix and blend them with the rest of the ingredients!
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Zucchini Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 vine-ripened Campari tomatoes quartered
- 2 cups zucchini shredded
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 4 TBS Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp garlic salt or more to taste
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 TBS sugar or coconut sugar for paleo
Instructions
- Place zucchini and 4 tomatoes into the wet container of a Vitamix blender.
- Blend, starting on low speed and gradually increase to high speed for 30-60 seconds or until a liquid is formed. (You may need to pause, scrape down the sides, then continue blending).
- Add the rest of the ingredients (the remaining two tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, garlic salt, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper and sugar) and blend until completely smooth.
- Transfer mixture to a 4-quart saucepan and cook on medium heat until the mixture begins to bubble.
- Once mixture begins to bubble turn heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the sauce is a deep red color.
- Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
- Serve over your favorite pasta!
Nutrition
Since fresh tomatoes and zucchini are in season during the summer months, I'm always looking for ways to cook with them that do not involve turning on the oven! This month's Recipe Redux challenge was to do just that...beat the heat by making a "no-oven-required" meal!
Since this sauce is blended in the Vitamix and cooked on the stovetop, it totally fit the billet! Keep cool and pasta on folks! 😉
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Whitney @ To Live & Diet in L.A.
My husband was JUST inquiring whether I knew how to make a good homemade pasta sauce and the answer was: no! Totally going to try this one - sounds delicious and so easy!
Sonali- The Foodie Physician
I love, love, love this recipe! The addition of zucchini is wonderful and the texture look so good!
Jessica @Nutritioulicious
What a great way to use up those fresh summer veggies! Can't go wrong with pasta either! 😉
Melissa Griffiths
This is a brilliant way to up the veggie content for dinner! Perfect for picky eaters. 🙂 Thanks!
Kristina @ Love & Zest
I must make this ASAP! It sounds and looks amazing! My family is going to devour it!
amanda -runtothefinish
Tis the season to find all kinds of ways to use that zucchini and I do love this! Especially for folks who seem to have an aversion to green things on their plate, sneak veggie!
Taylor Kiser
Love how easily this sauce comes together in the blender! The fresh flavors of the tomato and zucchini are perfect together! Easy and delicious for the win!
Rebecca
I love that you used zucchini in your tomato sauce. Such a great way to use up a bunch!