Veggie-Bomb ‘Pasta’ Sauce
Dairy free, Egg free, Gluten Free, Nut free, Soy free, Vegan, Vegetarian
About the recipe
This flexible, veggie-loaded pasta sauce from Toddler to Table is packed with fibre, flavour and nutrients—perfect for kids and a brilliant way to reduce food waste.
I’ve been promising to type this recipe up for way too long. And to be honest, I kept putting it off because even though I’ve been making this sauce for years… it changes every single time! But that’s what makes it so special—it’s the definition of a no-waste, use-what-you-have kind of recipe.
Originally featured in our book Toddler to Table, this sauce is the perfect way to use up sad, forgotten veggies from the bottom of the fridge and turn them into something truly nourishing. With a few key ingredients—onion or leek, garlic, fresh herbs, passata or tomatoes—you can create a flavourful, freezer-friendly sauce that works for pasta, pizza, baked eggs and more.
Add bone broth for a gut-supporting boost, or add in some frozen grated liver or a spoonful of bone marrow to gently support iron intake. It’s delicious, adaptable, and an easy way to get more veggies into little tummies.
Age suitable:
Suitable from 6 months+ (omit honey for babies under 12 months). Blend smooth for babies or serve as is for older children.
Serving suggestions:
Serve with meatballs, stirred into pasta, spread on pizza bases, or used as a base for shakshuka (baked eggs in sauce). Perfect for batch cooking and freezing.
Storage tips:
Store in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze in jars or portions for up to 6 months. Reheat gently on the stove before serving.
Ingredients
1 brown onion or 1 leek
1 bulb fennel
1 to 2 zucchini
1 cup mushrooms (any kind)
2 tablespoons butter, ghee, olive oil or coconut oil
2 carrots
2 sticks celery
4 garlic cloves (unpeeled)
3 to 4 cups chopped root vegetables (such as sweet potato, pumpkin, swede, parsnip, turnip, beetroot, red capsicum)
Olive oil or ghee for roasting
1 lemon, quartered
1 big handful baby spinach
1 x 700g jar passata
1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes
2 cups bone broth or vegetable stock
1 big handful fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons raw honey or maple syrup
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: bone marrow or up to 250g grated frozen liver (or desiccated liver powder)
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C and line two baking trays with baking paper.
Chop all vegetables. Slice the onion or leek, fennel, zucchini, and mushrooms. Roughly chop the carrots, celery and chosen root vegetables into even-sized pieces. Quarter the lemon and prepare the garlic cloves (leave them unpeeled).
Spread the chopped root vegetables, carrot, celery, garlic cloves and lemon on the baking trays. Drizzle with ghee or olive oil and roast for around 45 minutes, until soft and slightly browned.
Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over medium heat and melt the butter, ghee or oil. Add the onion or leek, fennel, mushrooms and zucchini. Sauté gently until browned and softened.
Once the roasted vegetables are ready, transfer them to a large pot with the sautéed veg. Squeeze in the garlic and lemon (discard skins). Add the bone broth, passata, diced tomatoes, basil leaves, baby spinach, balsamic vinegar and honey or maple syrup.
If using grated frozen liver or bone marrow, stir it in now.
Bring to a gentle simmer, taste and season with salt and pepper.
Blend the sauce using a stick blender or in batches in a food processor or high-speed blender until smooth.
Portion into jars or containers for storage, and enjoy in whatever way works best for your family.
Ingredient swaps and additions:
Bone broth can be swapped for water or veggie stock.
Use whatever root vegetables and greens you have—pumpkin, sweet potato, beetroot, spinach, fennel, mushrooms, capsicum, zucchini. There are a few key ingredients that I don’t leave out though, as really they are the basis of a good sauce – onion or leek (one of the other is fine), garlic, basil (or another fresh herb like parsley, thyme or rosemary will work) and the passata (can also use diced tomatoes). The rest of the vegetables will really just add more dimension to the sauce which is the beauty of it.
Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of desiccated liver powder (like Cell Squared) or 250g of grated frozen liver for an iron boost.
Swap honey for maple syrup for under 12 months.
Use coconut oil or olive oil to keep it dairy-free.
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