It’s no secret that kids love pizza and recently I’ve found myself turning to English Muffin pizzas as an easy weeknight dinner that I know they’ll gladly eat. (I do my English muffins in the toaster, top as desired and then finish in the oven.) I was starting to feel guilty about these dinners being short on nutrients, and in my constant quest to get my kids to eat vegetables and get them used to the flavors, I decided to make my own veggie packed pizza sauce.
Take this opportunity to clean out your fridge! Whatever veggies and herbs you have on hand can most likely be cooked down and blended into this sauce. Or if you have half-used jars of red sauce in your fridge, feel free to stir those in as well. There is really no “wrong” way to do this, as long as your sauce is seasoned properly and can be spread onto your crust of choice.
I selected this combination of vegetables (red pepper, carrots and spinach) for two reasons. Some veggies are more beneficial than others, and these three all pack a serious nutrient punch. I also knew that when steamed and puréed, they would be similar in color to “normal” pizza sauce and my kids wouldn’t balk at something that looks different from what they’re used to.
Two things to keep in mind:
- The consistency of the vegetables. You need them soft and blended which can be done in a variety of ways. I recommend either steaming or roasting your veggies, as these methods preserve the highest amount of nutrients. Once the veggies are soft, allow them to cool and then give them a spin in the food processor, blender, Magic Bullet or puree in a bowl using an immersion blender. AVOID blending veggies that are still hot! The pressure builds up too quickly and can cause the lid to blow off. Literally. If you’re in a hurry, you can do them while hot, but work in very small batches to prevent an explosion. I like my pizza sauce pretty thick, so I purée only until the veggies are still slightly chunky. If you prefer your sauce thinner, you can keep pulsing until they’re fully juiced.
- Seasoning. Do what you and your family like! If you’ve got fresh herbs, by all means, incorporate those. Traditionally in pizza sauce, you’ll find dried oregano, dried basil, black pepper, garlic powder (if not using fresh), ground marjoram, a pinch of red pepper flakes and even a bit of sugar for balance If you have Italian Seasoning on your shelf, that will bring together lots of these flavors in one bottle.
VEGGIE-PACKED PIZZA SAUCE
Take this opportunity to use up any leftover veggies or jarred sauces you have in your refrigerator.
I used this combo of veggies because it packs a nutrient punch and is similar in color to the standard pizza sauce that my boys are used to seeing.
I use a pot and a steamer basket to soften my vegetables, but you could roast them instead.
My family likes our pizza sauce on the sweeter side, so I use 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar. If you don’t like your sauce sweet, feel free to omit or cut the sugar in half.
Ingredients
- 2 red peppers, cut into large chunks (or whatever color you have on hand)
- 22 baby carrots (or 3 regular carrots, peeled and cut into chunks)
- 6 oz fresh baby spinach leaves (or one small box frozen, cooked to package directions)
- 1-2 TBSP olive oil
- 1-3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed (to your tastes)
- 1 – 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes (I like the San Marzano variety)
- 2 – 6 oz. cans tomato paste* (flavored with basil and oregano if you can find it)
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
Instructions
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Rinse and drain the red peppers and carrots. Fill a large pot with 1-2 cups of water (about an inch) but be sure that the water will not touch the bottom of your steamer basket when it’s added. Bring the water to a boil.
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Once water is boiling, add the steamer basket and place the carrots and peppers inside. Cover and allow the water to keep steaming over high heat for 10 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Place carrots and peppers in a colander and allow them to drain and cool.
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Discard the water in the pot and refill it with the same amount of water as before.** Bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, add the steamer basket and place the spinach inside. You made need to do this in batches, as the spinach is bulky at first, but quickly shrinks down as it wilts. Steam for 1-2 minutes or until just wilted.
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Using either a blender, food processor, Magic Bullet or a bowl with an immersion blender, purée the cooled veggies to your desired consistency.*** Avoid blending veggies that are still hot! The pressure builds up too quickly and can cause the lid to blow off.
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In a large sauce pot, sautée minced garlic in olive oil over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the vegetable puree, tomatoes, tomato paste and all remaining ingredients.
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Bring the pizza sauce up to a bubble and simmer for 30 minutes over medium low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
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Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning to your family’s tastes. Have fun experimenting! Serve and enjoy immediately or freeze for later use.
Recipe Notes
*We like thick pizza sauce, we use two cans of tomato paste, if you like yours thinner, feel free to use just one.
**The water gets weird quickly when steaming veggies and you don’t want the next batch to taste funny.
***Because we like our sauce on the thicker side, I puréed until the veggies were still slightly chunky.
