“Full of Veg” Tomato Sauce

Young or old… no matter what your age, eating all your vegetables is always a chore – or is it?

This sauce is packed full of goodness and is absolutely delicious, served over pasta, or even as a dip.  

Serves:  6

INGREDIENTS:

• olive oil
• 2 small onions, peeled and chopped
• 1 small leek, chopped and washed
• 2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
• 2 red peppers, chopped
• 2 courgettes, grated
• 2 carrots, grated
• 1 large pinch dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 x 400 g tinned plum tomatoes
• 1 small butternut peeled and seeds removed, grated
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

METHOD:

• Heat a large saucepan (big enough to hold all the ingredients) over a medium heat.
• Pour in a good lug of oil then add the onions, leek, celery, peppers, courgettes, carrots and herbs.
• Cook the whole lot slowly for about 20 minutes with the lid on, until all the vegetables are nice and soft but without any colour at all (this method is called sweating).
• Add the tomatoes, butternut, 500ml of water and a pinch of salt and pepper to the vegetables.
• Bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 30 minutes until the butternut is soft.
• Fish out the bay leaves and allow the sauce to cool slightly before blitzing with a hand-held blender until nice and smooth.
• Have a taste and season with a little more salt and pepper if needed.