Hide and Seek Pasta Sauce

READY IN 70 mins

This sauce is a fantastic way to include many vegetables in with your pasta…you may even possibly sneak some foods from the do not like list into you or your childs tummy!

Ingredients

1 small butternut squash, peeled and seeds removed
2 small onions
4 cloves garlic
1 red bell pepper
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
2 apples, core removed
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp + sea salt to taste
½ tsp + ground black pepper to taste
3 dried bay leaves
4 (398 mL) cans crushed/diced plum tomatoes
½ cup fresh basil (optional)

Directions

Rough chop squash, onions, garlic, red pepper, carrots, celery and apples.
Heat a large pot over medium high heat. Add oil, onions and garlic; sauté, stirring regularly until onions begin to sweat (caramelize or sweat?…if the heat is on medium high they will be caramelized after 6 minutes), approximately six minutes.
Add squash, red pepper, carrots, celery, salt, pepper, and bay leaves to pot. Sauté until carrots begin to soften, approximately six minutes.
Add tomatoes to the pot and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for approximately 40 minutes or until squash is soft.
Remove bay leaves and add basil (if using). Check seasoning. Add additional salt and pepper if needed.
Remove the sauce from heat and cool for 20 minutes and then in small batches, carefully blend sauce using a food processor or blender. Be sure to fill your machine only half full and secure lid just before blending to prevent the build-up of pressure.
Mix desired amount of sauce with cooked Cowichan Valley pasta and set aside remaining sauce. Divide pasta into individual portions and freeze for school lunches. Remove the night before to defrost and serve either warm or at room temperature in child’s lunch.
Cool remaining sauce completely and then freeze in small portions using reusable containers or plastic freezer bags. This sauce can be used as a dip, on pizza (see calzone recipe – insert link), or atop a cooked chicken breast.

PREP 20 mins
COOK 50 mins
READY IN 70 mins