Meat-Free Monday Hidden Veg Pasta
No longer do you have to force your kids to eat their greens; perfectly flavoured and disguised in the pasta, this hidden veg & pasta dish is just the ticket.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 30 ml olive or sunflower oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 100 g carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 100 g courgettes or patty pans, chopped
- 100 g mushrooms, sliced
- 1 x 410 g tin chopped tomatoes
- 160 ml vegetable stock
- 15 ml fresh basil, chopped
- 1 bag fresh spinach, chopped
- Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
- 15 ml brown sugar
- 400 g fusilli pasta or pasta of your choice
- 50 g grated Cheddar or Parmesan cheese or 50 ml mascarpone cheese
Method
- Heat the oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic clove until translucent.
- Add in the carrots, and cook a further 4 minutes, then stir in the courgettes and mushrooms; stir well,
and cook another 3 – 4 minutes. - Add in tomatoes and vegetable stock. Simmer gently for a further 15 – 20 minutes until vegetables
have softened. - Add in basil and spinach leaves, salt and pepper and sugar. Cook a further 4 minutes.
- Remove from the heat. Use a plunge blender and blend to a purée.
- While the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta according to directions on the packet.
- If necessary, thin the sauce down with a little more pasta water.
- Add the sauce to the cooked pasta, and toss well.
- Add the mascarpone (if using) to the pasta, and toss again.
Serve with a little grated Cheddar or Parmesan cheese and a large green salad.
Spinach is a good source of many nutrients, including folic
acid, vitamin B3 and vitamins A and E. It is also calcium and iron-rich, and provides a host of other minerals.
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