It’s to the point in the gardening season where many of us are bringing in our final summer harvests! If you are like us, that harvest likely included plenty of tomatoes! Tomatoes are a staple for so many reasons. They are versatile and can be used to make so many wonderful foods. In this post, we’ll be going over how to use those tomatoes (and a few other favorite garden veggies) to make a delicious garden harvest spaghetti sauce!
Why I Love This Recipe
There are so many reasons why I love making this recipe! For starters, it is an excellent way to use up so many veggies which means less waste! That’s a win win!
Our tomato section of our garden is usually overflowing, and there are only so many jars of straight tomato juice/sauce that I can use in a year! So, I love that I can put some of them to use in a ready made spaghetti sauce!
I also love this recipe, because it is versatile! This spaghetti sauce has a tomato flavor and a pepper flavor adding complexity to the taste! This makes it a perfect option for so many pasta dishes including spaghetti, lasagna, ravioli, rigatoni and more!
In addition, this makes a great pizza sauce or marinara sauce. I also love using this sauce along with meatballs and mozzarella cheese to make the perfect meatball sub!
Best Veggies For Your Garden Harvest Spaghetti Sauce
The top flavors in this sauce are tomatoes and bell peppers. But there are a variety of veggies that you can add to use up more of your harvest!
I love adding onions and garlic to my sauce. These veggies help to give that classic spaghetti sauce flavor and to add more elements to the sauce. I also love adding in some of my banana peppers or jalapeño peppers to give a hint of spice to the sauce.
But the options don’t stop there! Because this sauce is simmered on low heat for several hours, the veggies have a chance to thoroughly soften before they are blended. So, you could add in a variety of mild flavored vegetables, and your family likely won’t even know they are in there.
Some additional options to add to this sauce would include eggplant, zucchini, spinach, summer squash, or even cabbage! If you do choose to add these, just be sure to remove the seeds and thick skin if applicable!
How To Prepare Your Sauce
So let’s get started preparing this delicious garden harvest spaghetti sauce! You’ll need to start with your fresh tomatoes and peppers.
My tomatoes at the end of the harvest season were very small, so I ended up using about 30 tomatoes. BUT if yours are larger you won’t need that many (unless of course, you want to make a larger batch).
To accelerate the cooking process, it is ideal to rough chop the veggies into cubes before transferring to a large stock pot. Add in 1 cup of water and allow to simmer over low heat for about 2 hours with a lid on.
After simmering, all of the vegetables should be extremely tender. If they are not, simmer for an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour. Pulse the veggies with an immersion blender until the sauce is mostly smooth. Alternatively, blend the veggies in a blender until smooth.
Now it’s time to season and thicken the sauce. To add a little more thickness, I like to add in 1 can of tomato paste and whisk the past into the rest of the sauce. The I add in pepper to taste and 2 tsp of sea salt.
Next I add in my basil, oregano, parsley, parmesan cheese, and a dash of red pepper flakes. Then I simply let the sauce simmer for another 30 minutes to allow the flavors to combine, and it is ready to serve!
How To Store Your Garden Harvest Spaghetti Sauce
So how do your store your delicious spaghetti sauce once it is made? Well if all your veggies were fresh to begin with, the sauce should keep in the fridge for a week. Past that mark, the best place to store your sauce is in the freezer.
I like to scoop my sauce into containers in the right amount for a meal. Then, when I want to make a pizza, spaghetti, or a hoagie, I have the exact right amount to thaw for an easy quick dinner!
I hope you all enjoyed this easy garden harvest spaghetti sauce recipe! Let us know in the comments below if you decide to give it a try!
Be sure to pin this recipe to your board of ideas for easy access!
Want to check out more tutorials and recipes on wholesome, self-sufficient, and handcrafted life? Check out some of these recent posts!
Healthy Apple Crisp With Maple Sugar
How To Make Apple Scrap Vinegar
DIY Lemon Balm Lavender Bath Salt
How To Dry Fresh Herbs For Storage
How To Save Fermented Seeds For Planting Next Year
Dry Green Bean Seeds For Planting
How To Make Canned Tomato Juice Using A Blender
Garden Harvest Spaghetti Sauce
This delicious spaghetti sauce is made of tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic simmered to perfection and finished with a delicious blend of spices!
Ingredients
- 10 medium tomatoes
- 2 medium bell peppers
- 2 medium mild banana peppers
- 1 medium onion
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 cup water
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 1 Tbs each fresh basil, parsley, oregano (OR 1/2 Tbs each if dried)
- 2 Tsp salt
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut your tomatoes in quarters and add to a large stock pot.
- Remove the seeds from the bell and banana peppers, cut in pieces, and add to the stock pot.
- Remove the skin from the onion, quarter and add to the pot.
- Remove the skin from the cloves of garlic and add to the pot.
- Add one cup of water to the pot, and simmer over low heat with the lid on for 2 hours.
- Thoroughly blend the sauce with an immersion blender.
- Add in the tomato paste and whisk together.
- Add the salt and pepper and stir.
- If using fresh herbs, finely chop them and add to the sauce. Stir thoroughly.
- Simmer for an additional 30 minutes then serve over your favorite pasta!
0 Comments