With 6 veggies, yummy flavor, and an easy method, this Roasted Vegetable Pasta Sauce is a favorite family dinner. Plus: It makes great leftovers!
This post is sponsored by Colavita
I love making vegetable sauces for pasta as they have always been a reliable way for me to help my kids eat a broader range of veggies. And this Roasted Vegetable Pasta Sauce—which has a similar concept to my Red Pepper Pasta and Carrot Pasta Sauce—is such a great option.
This nutritious pasta for kids relies on a mix of 6 flavorful vegetables, plus an easy method to make a really yummy family dinner to share.
You can make the sauce ahead of time and warm it up when you need it. You can make it with or without dairy as needed for your family. And you can even add more flavor for your own serving.
Why This Recipe Works
A mixture of roasted vegetables is blended with marinara sauce to make an extra-veggie pasta sauce that’s flavorful, nutritious, and a great way to incorporate more variety into our meals.
This post is my latest collaboration with Colavita, my favorite source for Italian pantry staples. The company is family-owned and operated and makes pasta, olive oil, beans, sauces, and so much more. Use my exclusive code YUMMY25 in their online store for 25% off.
Table of Contents
Ingredients You Need
Here’s a look at the ingredients you need to have on hand to make Roasted Vegetable Pasta Sauce so you know what to pick up from the store or have ready.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: I’m using Colavita Extra-Virgin Olive Oil here to coat the vegetables for roasting. It prevents them from sticking to the pan and also helps them to caramelize nicely.
- Carrots, red bell pepper, sweet potato: This mixture of vegetables is my preference for making a flavorful sauce with a pleasing color.
- Onion and garlic: We add yellow onion and garlic to the roasting pan with the rest of the vegetables for the best flavor in the sauce.
- Broth (or pasta cooking water): We need a liquid to help the vegetables blend easily into the marinara sauce, so you can use some of the pasta cooking water or chicken broth or Vegetable Broth.
- Marinara sauce: I like to blend this into the vegetables to help it turn into a creamy pasta sauce. You can also use ricotta, cottage cheese, or white beans to vary the idea if you’d like.
- Pasta: I like this pasta sauce with a wide range of pasta shapes, so you can use the one you prefer.
- Fresh basil, grated Parmesan cheese, salt, and/or black pepper: Optional, to taste for more flavor.
Featured Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Just made this for my kids who HATE veggies. It is SUCH a struggle and they ALL ate it!!!!!! LOVE THIS RECIPE!!” —Lisa
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a preview of how to make this Roasted Vegetable Pasta Sauce so you know what to expect from the process. Scroll down to the end of this post for the full information, including the amounts and the timing.
Step 1. Chop the vegetables. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet.
Step 2. Drizzle with olive oil and salt. Roast until tender and golden brown.
Step 3. Transfer vegetables to a blender with the broth (or pasta cooking water) and marinara.
Step 4. Blend until smooth. Serve with prepared pasta, using as much sauce as you like.
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Frequently Asked Questions
I prefer to use carrots, sweet potato, red bell pepper, onion, and garlic. The flavors work well together and the color, when blended, is pleasant.
Sure, you can use precut frozen vegetables to make this a little easier (since there will be no chopping). Just know the vegetables likely won’t brown as they roast, but that’s okay!
Pasta has an ample amount of protein already so you may not need to. If you want to make the meal a little more filling, you can add fully cooked Italian sausage, white beans, shredded chicken, or a dollop of ricotta cheese alongside the pasta.
How to Store
Make the sauce up to 5 days ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Or, you can freeze it for up to a year in a small freezer container.
Store leftover pasta and sauce in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat as you like.
Best Tips for Success
- To vary the flavor, you can use ricotta cheese in place of the marinara sauce.
- Add Parmesan cheese, fresh herbs such as basil or parsley, salt to taste, or cooked crumbled sausage for more flavor.
- You can roast the vegetables ahead of time and blend them later if that helps to meal prep.
- Serve the sauce as a baby food combination—it’s a perfect baby food texture.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback on this post, so please rate and comment below!
Favorite Roasted Vegetable Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 carrots (peeled, roughly chopped; about 1 cup)
- 1 red bell pepper (stem and seeds removed and roughly chopped; about 1 cup)
- 1 medium sweet potato (peeled and roughly chopped; about 1 cup)
- 1 yellow onion (peeled and roughly chopped; about 1 cup)
- 4 cloves garlic (peeled)
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¼ cups broth (or pasta cooking water)
- 8 ounces marinara sauce (or ricotta, cottage cheese, or white beans)
- 1 pound pasta
- Fresh basil, grated Parmesan cheese, salt, and/or black pepper (optional, to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place the carrots, bell pepper, sweet potato, onions, and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and salt, and toss to coat. Roast until the vegetables are tender and golden brown, about 24-26 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta according to package directions. (If not using broth: Remove 1¼ cups of the pasta cooking water and set aside to reserve.) Drain the pasta, and return it to the pot.
- Transfer the roasted vegetables to a blender with the broth (or pasta cooking water) and marinara sauce.
- Blend until smooth and creamy, adding as much of the pasta cooking water (or broth, if using) as needed to make a smooth sauce.
- Add as much of the sauce to the cooked pasta as you like and toss to coat.
- Serve immediately with additional salt, and Parmesan, fresh basil, and/or black pepper as you like.
- P.S. You can also make the sauce even creamier by adding a little heavy cream and stirring well.
Notes
- Make the sauce up to 5 days ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Or, you can freeze it for up to a year in a small freezer container.
- Store leftover pasta and sauce in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat as you like.
- Swap in ricotta cheese for the marinara sauce to vary the flavor.
- Use frozen vegetables to save on chopping.
Just made this for my kids who HATE veggies. It is SUCH a struggle and they ALL ate it!!!!!! LOVE THIS RECIPE!!