My youngest likes to request sauce "without the thingys," aka a smooth tomato sauce without any chopped onions or other vegetables in sight. This recipe is one of my favorite ways to give her what she wants while feeding her all the nourishing, healthy vegetables she thinks she hates. If you've ever cooked for a picky eater, you know what a win this is! The sauce pairs wonderfully with your favorite pasta or roasted spaghetti squash—the spaghetti squash hasn't been kid-approved yet, but I love it.
Ingredients
2 lbs. ground beef (optional)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
Half a red pepper, chopped
12 garlic cloves, roughly chopped (mine were small; measure with your heart)
1 12-oz can tomatoes (can be anything you have on hand: crushed, diced, whole, or even tomato sauce; if you use pre-made sauce, you may not need as many spices)
2 cups Rao's marinara (this is what my family likes, you can use whatever you have!)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
Directions
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in all your veggies except the garlic and cook for about 10 minutes until softened.
Once the veggies are cooked, add the garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
Add all of the spices and 1 teaspoon of salt and cook for a couple of minutes to warm them up and release the aromatics.
Stir in the tomato paste and sauté for about 2 minutes.
Lower the heat and add the canned tomato and marinara sauce.
Cover and let cook until it comes to a boil.
Once everything is fully cooked, carefully spoon the sauce into a blender. Purée until smooth.
Meanwhile, rinse out the pan and cook the ground beef over medium heat. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt.
Add the puréed sauce back to the pan and stir to combine. Cook on low uncovered to let it reduce some and then cover and set aside. This can be made right before dinner, or you can let it simmer for a few hours, stirring occasionally, to let the flavors develop. Enjoy!
