This veggie pasta sauce with beef is absolutely delicious, hearty and loaded with veggies. Serve it over your favorite pasta or keep it Whole30 by having it over hearts of palm "spaghetti", cauliflower rice or spaghetti squash. The veggies are diced small so even picky little ones will love this sauce. If you enjoy this one you will love my Gnocchi Bolognese .
Why You'll Love This Recipe
It provides a bowl full of veggies: Along with protein from the beef you will be getting an abundance of delicious vegetables like carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms and more!
It makes a large pot full: I love making big pots full of soups, sauces and chili's so I have plenty to freeze for another time. This veggie pasta sauce fed 4 and I froze 4 cups (see storage tips below) for dinner next week or in a few weeks.
The kiddos will love it: All kids love spaghetti and what better way to let them enjoy it along with getting a healthy serving of veggies at the same time.
Ingredients You Will Need
Ground beef: Ground beef works wonders in sauces, imparting a hearty flavor and juicy texture that perfectly complements the rich, savory notes of the sauce.
Onion: I prefer yellow onion for this recipe as it has a bolder flavor than sweet onions but you can certainly use sweet if you prefer.
Celery: CeIery is a nutrient rich, low calorie food that has fiber and vitamin K, small amounts of A and C, calcium and iron. It is an essential ingredient for making Mirepoix which is an aromatic base of celery, carrots and onions.
Carrots: Carrots add a touch of natural sweetness to the sauce with a vibrant color.
Mushrooms: I like to use white mushrooms in this recipe as they impart a mild yet earthy flavor to this dish.
Red Bell Pepper: These peppers bring a touch of sweetness as they soften from the cooking process and their natural red color gets hidden in the sauce.
Garlic: Fresh is best for obtaining a little stronger touch of garlic flavor than the sweeter touch you would obtain from powder.
Salt and Pepper: Salt enhances and balances flavors, while ground black pepper adds a gentle heat, improving the overall flavor of a dish.
Marinara Sauce: Feel free to use your favorite jarred sauce for this dish or if you have an abundance of tomatoes from your garden try my Roasted Tomato Sauce.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Olive oil stands out as an excellent choice for sautéing, adding richness and enhancing the natural flavors of foods with its versatility.
Instructions
Heat pan: Heat a large pan and add oil.
Add mirepoix: Add onions, celery and carrots cooking for 5 minutes stirring frequently.
Add mushrooms and peppers: Now add your mushrooms and peppers and cook five minutes longer. Cover but remove and stir after each minute.
Make a well in the center of the pan: Add the beef to the center of the pan and break apart cooking till no longer pink.
Stir: Once the beef is no longer pink, stir everything together.
Add Garlic: Now add your garlic and stir constantly for one minute.
Add Marinara: Add the marinara or your sauce of choice and stir to incorporate with the meat and vegetables.
Add salt and pepper: Stir well to combine, lower heat and simmer 15 minutes.
Parsley: If using fresh parsley, stir in now.
Serve over your favorite pasta: Serve over pasta or spaghetti squash and enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Forget to thaw your beef: Run the beef (still in wrapper) under cold water for several minutes. Turn heat down to low and add to pan, flipping frequently and scrapping the browned beef into the pan. Continue to do this until the beef can be broken apart with a wooden spoon and then finish browning the beef.
Want to hide the veggies even more: Chop the veggies in a food processor to desired consistency but don't over process then to liquid. This is particularly helpful if you are trying to get your toddlers to eat some veggies.
Recipe Variations
Ground chicken or turkey: You can easily swap ground chicken or ground turkey in place of the beef. I have even made this with ground pork.
Garlic powder: Out of fresh garlic, no worries, swap garlic powder for the fresh cloves. Use one teaspoon dried per 3 medium cloves.
Not a fan of chick pea pasta: You can use any pasta you prefer. If you want to keep this dish paleo and whole30 compatible you can use hearts of palm "pasta", spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, butternut noodles or cauliflower rice.
Storage Tips
To store the Veggie Pasta Sauce (with Beef), place it in an airtight container and refrigerate. The sauce can also be frozen for up to 6 months. Consider freezing in ice cube trays like these, which will help freeze your Veggie Pasta Sauce (with Beef) in smaller portions making it easier and quicker to defrost.
FAQs About Veggie Pasta Sauce (with Beef)
What kind of meat goes well with pasta sauce?
Almost any kind of ground protein will work well with this sauce. Try ground chicken, ground turkey or ground pork.
Is pasta sauce a good source of vegetables?
Yes! This sauce is loaded many different vegetables containing essential vitamins and minerals.
How long can pasta sauce with meat sit out?
Two hours is the maximum time perishable foods should be left out at room temperature.
Veggie Pasta Sauce (with Beef)
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 1 cup Onion diced
- 1 cup Celery diced
- 1 cup Carrots diced
- 8 oz White Mushrooms diced
- 1 cup Red Bell Pepper seeded and diced
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 40 oz Marinara Sauce see note
- 2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ¼ cup Flat Leaf Parsley chopped
- Shop
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet
- Add onion, celery and carrots and cook five minutes, stirring frequently
- Add mushrooms and peppers and cook five minutes covered but stir after every minute
- Make a well in the center of the pan
- Add beef, breaking apart and cooking till no longer pink
- Stir all together
- Add garlic and stir one minute
- Add sauce, salt and pepper and stir to combine
- Lower heat to medium low and simmer 15 minutes
- Stir in parsley
- Serve over your favorite pasta
- Enjoy!
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