Hidden veggie pasta sauce [For Kids!]

Got a picky eater on your hands? Sneak in an extra helping of veggies with this hidden veggie pasta sauce. Simply cook and mix ingredients and add to your favorite pasta. Your child (or adult!) will not know any different!

I’ve been sharing a lot of kid-friendly recipes lately since I have my own little picky eater under my roof. My earlier baby, who “eats anything, whether it’s taste, color, or texture,” won’t touch a vegetable with a 10-foot pole.

Pasta against it? Can not get enough! Can you really blame her? To make sure she’s getting the right nutrition, I created the perfect hidden veg pasta sauce to inject an extra dose of veggies into her diet.

This recipe is the perfect mix of veggies and flavor but tastes just like tomato sauce! It can also be frozen in individual servings and stored in the freezer. This is how it’s done:

Why you will love this recipe

Anyone with a child knows how difficult it can be to get them to eat their vegetables. Yes – even the least picky toddlers still don’t eat much! Some of this is normal, limit-testing behavior, but that doesn’t mean you, as a parent, aren’t stressed about getting the right nutritional intake.

What I love about this hidden veggie pasta sauce is that my kid loves it and I have less stress forcing veggies on them. Sure — we still offer veggies and encourage them to try them, but I feel a lot less of that push and pull knowing my daughter is still secretly getting it.

Even better – your child will NOT taste them AT ALL! It just tastes like a delicious spaghetti sauce – you won’t know any better!

Ingredients in Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce:

Canned tomatoes – 1 28 ounce can. You can also use fresh tomatoes if you like.

olive oil – for cooking vegetables

garlic + onion – For added flavor but also immune-boosting and antibacterial properties.

carrots– A great source of vitamin A for babies.

paprika– You can use any color, but I prefer red peppers, which are also a great source of vitamin C.

spinach– a fantastic source of all kinds of vitamins and minerals and especially calcium.

herbs + salt – I use dried Italian spices (you can also use a mixture of oregano and thyme). You can reduce or eliminate the salt if you’re concerned about your child’s sodium levels.

How to Make Hidden Vegetarian Tomato Sauce:

STEP 1: COOK ONIONS + GARLIC

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and onions. Sauté onions until translucent (3-5 minutes). Add garlic and cook for another minute.

STEP 2: COOK REMAINING VEGETABLES

Add carrots and peppers. Cook for 2 more minutes, then stir in the spinach and cook until wilted.

STEP 3: ADD TOMATOES + HERBS

Add herbs, salt (if using), canned tomatoes and water/stock. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low flame for 15-20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the sauce cool to room temperature.

STEP 4: MIX SAUCE

Place the sauce in a blender and blend to desired consistency. Depending on the size of your blender, you may need to do this in batches.

How to Serve for Babies + Toddlers:

You can serve your pasta sauce on any type of pasta. Sprinkle with cheese and fresh basil (if desired).

If your child is 6-9 months old, choose an easy-to-grasp pasta like penne or fusili.

When your baby is a little older, use smaller pasta like macaroni to practice the pincer grip.

This hidden veggie pasta sauce works great too Pizza or as a dipping sauce for Mozzarella sticks.

Can You Freeze Hidden Vegetable Pasta Sauce?

Absolutely! I like to freeze mine in 3-ounce cubes for individual servings. I use a silicone mold (like this one) and freeze for 4 hours. Then I put them in the freezer in a ziplock bag for up to 6 months.

I let my tomato sauce thaw in a bowl for several hours. Then I serve an individual portion of pasta or pizza.

Alternatively, you can freeze your hidden veggie pasta sauce in any airtight container in the freezer.

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