Red sauce pasta recipe is a delicious recipe of pasta and mixed veggies in a homemade red tangy tomato sauce. This meal can also be made without veggies but I usually add them as they give a good taste and also increase the nutrition factor. This meal is especially good for kids who like pasta but refuse to eat vegetables.
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.
About this Red Sauce Pasta Recipe
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 will Need
- 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.
- Pasta: For the pasta, you can use semolina or whole wheat pasta. Also, you can use spaghetti, penne, fusilli, farfalle or shell pasta.
- 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.
Few 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.
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.
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.
Assembling Red Sauce Pasta
23. Add the steamed veggies and ⅓ cup steamed sweet corn kernels to the sauce.
24. Then add the cooked 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.
A Few More Tasty Pasta recipes
- White sauce pasta: an easy-to-make recipe of cooked pasta in a delicious white sauce.
- Mac and cheese: a creamy and cheesy dish with a light crunchy topping of breadcrumbs and gooey melted cheese.
- Macaroni pasta: a tasty macaroni recipe made Indian style with onion, tomatoes, mixed vegetables and spices.
- Arrabiata pasta: a popular pasta recipe from the Italian cuisine made with tomatoes, garlic and red chili flakes.
- Alfredo pasta: a creamy pasta made with fresh cream and mixed veggies.
Red Sauce Pasta (With Vegetables)
Ingredients
for cooking pasta
- 1 cup pasta macaroni or 100 grams pasta
- 2.5 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon oil
veggies for red sauce pasta
- 1 cup mixed vegetables - like carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans etc
- ⅓ cup boiled steamed corn kernels or green peas
- 1.25 cups chopped white button mushrooms
- ⅓ cup chopped capsicum (green bell pepper)
other ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (can use butter or any other oil instead of olive oil)
- 1 small to medium tej patta (indian bay leaf)
- 4 small to medium garlic cloves - finely chopped
- 60 grams onions or 1 medium onion or ⅓ cup finely chopped onion
- 220 grams tomatoes or 2 large tomatoes or 1 cup tomato puree
- ½ teaspoon sugar or add as required
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg powder
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon black pepper powder or add as required
- salt as required
- 1 tablespoon red wine or white wine (optional)
- 2 to 3 basil leaves - chopped
- ¼ cup grated cheese for garnish (optional)
Instructions
cooking veggies
- Firstly steam or cook 1 cup mix chopped veggies till 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.
- For the veggies I have used a mix of cauliflower florets, carrots and potatoes. I have also added some sweet corn (⅓ cup). You can also add some green peas instead of sweet corn or a mix of both.
cooking pasta
- Heat 2.5 cups water, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon oil in a pan till the water comes to a boil.
- Then add 100 grams or 1 cup of the pasta.
- On a medium to high flame cook till the pasta is al dente or completely cooked.
- Then in a colander or strainer, strain the pasta and keep aside.
making sauce for red sauce pasta
- In a food chopper, food processor or in a mixer or blender, crush 2 large tomatoes (220 grams) to a puree. Keep aside. No need to blanch the tomatoes.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan or wok or kadai. Add 1 small to medium tej patta and 4 small to medium garlic cloves (finely chopped). Saute for some seconds till the raw aroma of garlic goes away. No need to brown the garlic.
- Add ⅓ cup finely chopped onions and begin to saute the onions on a low to medium flame.
- Saute till the onions turn translucent.
- Then add tomato puree. If using ready store brought tomato puree, then add 1 cup tomato puree.
- Mix very well and begin to saute the mixture.
- Stir at intervals and saute till you see the oil leaving the sides and the sauce has thickened a bit. This means that the tomato puree has cooked.
- Then add 1.25 cups chopped mushrooms.
- Mix very well and saute for 6 to 7 minutes on a low to medium flame.
- Next add ⅓ cup chopped capsicum. Mix well.
- Saute the capsicum for 4 to 5 minutes on a low to medium flame. By now the capsicum will be half cooked and the mushrooms will be cooked.
- Add ½ teaspoon sugar or as required.
- Then add ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg powder & ¼ to ½ teaspoon black pepper powder.
- Next add salt as per taste. Mix very well. If using white or red wine, then you can add at this stage. Add 1 tablespoon white or red wine.
making red sauce pasta
- Add the steamed veggies and ⅓ cup boiled sweet corn kernels.
- Then add the cooked pasta.
- 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 grated cheese or cream and mix.
- Lastly switch off the flame. Add 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil leaves. Mix well.
- Serve red sauce pasta hot or warm or cold. This pasta tastes good even when served at room temperature. You can garnish it with some grated cheese while serving.
Notes
- For the pasta, you can use semolina or whole wheat pasta.
- Also you can use spaghetti, penne, fusilli, farfalle or shell pasta.
- Add veggies of your choice or skip them if you want.
- Fresh or dried herbs of your choice can be added.
- Use dried basil, if you do not have fresh basil leaves.
- Please use tomatoes which are ripe, red and less tangy.
i want to make pasta in oven, sauce i will make on gas. but I just want big onions pieCe , olive small piece and corn to be cooked in sauce with pasta in oven please help me
just mix the cooked pasta with the sauce. chop onions in large pieces and sauté in oil. when the you add cooked pasta, that time add steamed corn or canned corn and chopped olives. mix and then take everything in a baking bowl or pan. bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees celsius for 15 to 20 minutes.
Very good recipe. Was so relieved when even my kids enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing ????
Welcome Sweta. Glad to know this.
plz suggst any red or white wine which we can use in dis pasta recipe…
tanu, you can use dry white wine like sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio. you can also use sherry or marsala wine. for red wine i use cabernet sauvignon. last time when i had purchased white wine, i asked the shop folks to give me wine which can be used for baking as well as cooking. they gave me a brand but i do not remember the name now. if you are not comfortable buying wine from the shops, then someone else from your family can go and ask for wine which can be used in cooking or baking.
Hi….was waiting terribly for this dish….too good…too simple….thanks a million for your efforts…
thanks a lot mrunal. do try the pasta recipe.
Mouth watering dish recipe. Thanks a lot for the recipe. I will definitely give it a try although i had never ever made any pasta dish; even though i love to eat pasta.
thank you swati. do give a try.