Red Sauce Pasta (With Mix Vegetables)

Red sauce pasta is a delicious recipe of pasta and mixed veggies in a homemade tangy and bright tomato sauce. Make this pasta with or without veggies and they taste good every time. I like to add veggies as they give a good taste and also increase the nutrition factor. This red sauce pasta is especially good for kids who like pasta but refuse to eat vegetables.

About This Recipe

This red sauce pasta is so tasty you will want to keep on making it. Preparing the pasta, sauce and veggies all together will take some time, so if you are looking for a quicker meal, you can prepare the sauce ahead of time and refrigerate it. This dish is vegetarian.

Pasta is a favorite of kids, as well as grown ups, so it isn’t surprising that I get many recipe requests for various types of pasta.

One of those requests was for a pasta in red sauce and so I am sharing this delicious recipe. You will find links to more pasta recipes later in this post and I will be continuing to add more versions of pasta recipes to the blog.

Ingredients You Need

1. Red Sauce: The homemade sauce is made with fresh tomatoes, garlic and herbs. Since tomatoes are the main ingredient, be sure to use ones which are ripe, red and less tangy. I have used fresh basil leaves as the main herb in the sauce.
   
   If you are making the red sauce pasta only for yourself or grown-ups, then you can add white or red wine in it. Otherwise, skip if making for kids, you can use balsamic vinegar instead.
2. Pasta: For the pasta, you can use semolina or whole wheat pasta. Also, you can use spaghetti, penne, fusilli, farfalle or shell pasta.
3. Veggies: The mushrooms and bell peppers (capsicum) used in this recipe are sautéed in the pasta sauce. Alternatively, you can even steam or sauté the mushrooms and peppers (capsicum) separately.
   
   Or, if you do not use mushrooms or peppers (capsicum), then just prepare the tomato sauce and add the steamed veggies at the end. For the veggies, I have used a mix of cauliflower florets, carrots and potatoes. I have also added some sweet corn. Green peas work instead of sweet corn or you can do a mix of both.

How to Make Red Sauce Pasta

Preparing the Veggies

1. First steam or cook 1 cup mix chopped veggies until they are cooked and tender. They should not be over cooked. You can steam or cook them in a pressure cooker for 1 whistle or steam in a steamer pan. You can even steam the veggies in an Instant Pot for 10 minutes. Set aside.

Cooking the Pasta

2. Heat 2.5 cups water, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon oil in a pan until the water comes to a boil.

3. Then add 100 grams or 1 cup of the pasta.

4. On a medium to high flame begin to cook the pasta.

5. Cook pasta until al dente or completely cooked.

6. Then strain the pasta using a colander or strainer. Set aside.

Making the Red Sauce

7. In a food chopper, food processor, mixer or blender, crush 2 large tomatoes (220 grams) to a puree. Set aside.

8. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan or wok or kadai. Add 1 small to medium Indian bay leaf (tej patta) and 4 small to medium garlic cloves (finely chopped).

Sauté for some seconds until the raw aroma of garlic goes away. No need to brown the garlic.

9. Add ⅓ cup finely chopped onions.

10. Begin to sauté the onions on a low to medium flame.

11. Sauté until the onions turn translucent.

12. Then add the tomato puree. If using ready store bought tomato puree, measure out and add 1 cup of it.

13. Mix very well and begin to sauté the mixture.

14. Stir at intervals and sauté until you see the oil leaving the sides and the sauce has thickened a bit. This means that the tomato puree has cooked.

Adding mushrooms and capsicum

15. Then add 1.25 cups chopped mushrooms.

16. Mix very well.

17. Sauté for 6 to 7 minutes on a low to medium flame.

18. Next add ⅓ cup chopped bell peppers (capsicum). mix well.

19. Sauté the bell peppers (capsicum) for 4 to 5 minutes on a low to medium flame. By now the bell peppers (capsicum) will be half cooked and the mushrooms will be cooked.

20. Add ½ teaspoon sugar or as required.

21. Then add ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg powder and ¼ to ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

22. Next add salt as per taste. Mix very well. If using wine, then you can add 1 tablespoon white or red at this stage.

Add 1 tablespoon white or red wine. Instead of wine you can also add ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar.

Adding Steamed Veggies

23. Include the steamed veggies and ⅓ cup steamed sweet corn kernels in the sauce.

24. Then add the cooked pasta.

Making Red Sauce Pasta

25. Gently toss and mix everything very well, so that the red sauce coats the pasta as well as the veggies. At this step, you can also add some cream or grated cheese if you want.

26. Lastly switch off the flame. Add 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil leaves. Mix well.

27. Serve red sauce pasta hot or warm or cold. This pasta tastes good even when served at room temperature. While serving you can garnish with some grated cheese.

Helpful Tips

• This is not specifically an Indian style pasta recipe, so feel free to use a combination of herbs and vegetables that you like.
• If you want you can skip adding the veggies. The tomato sauce with just the pasta also tastes good.
• You can make the recipe completely vegan by skipping adding cheese for garnish or using a vegan cheese.
• You can choose any type of pasta to make this dish.
• You can use any oil in place of olive oil.
• Add tomatoes which are ripe, red and less sour.

A Few More Tasty Pasta recipes

1. White sauce pasta: an easy-to-make recipe of cooked pasta in a delicious white sauce.
2. Mac and cheese: a creamy and cheesy dish with a light crunchy topping of breadcrumbs and gooey melted cheese.
3. Macaroni pasta: a tasty macaroni recipe made Indian style with onion, tomatoes, mixed vegetables and spices.
4. Arrabiata pasta: a popular pasta recipe from the Italian cuisine made with tomatoes, garlic and red chili flakes.
5. Alfredo pasta: a creamy pasta made with fresh cream and mixed veggies.

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