This week I had a killer craving for some classic spaghetti and meat sauce. But, as you may know, I like to add vegetables whenever and wherever I can to recipes. So I shredded a couple of handfuls of vegetables, tossed them into the sauce, and added some extra herbs and spices to make this absolutely incredible “hidden vegetable” pasta sauce. It has more flavor, more color, and more texture (read: fiber). It’s a win-win-win!
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Shown with Homemade Garlic Bread.
Balance Your Costs with Vegetables
My favorite trick for stretching ground meat in recipes is to use vegetables or beans to replace half of the ground meat. This time I shredded vegetables, which mimicked the texture of the ground meat, but added a subtle sweetness and a whole lot of extra flavor, texture, and nutrition to the sauce. This sauce is so delicious that I couldn’t stop sneaking spoonfuls while I took photos!
Can I Make This Sauce Vegetarian?
If you want to make a vegetarian version of this hidden vegetable pasta sauce, I suggest mincing an 8oz. container of mushrooms and sautéing them with the onions and garlic. The minced texture will mimic the ground meat and mushrooms have that umami flavor that is similar to ground meat.
Is Hidden Vegetable Pasta Sauce Freezer Friendly?
This sauce freezes great if you want to make a double batch and have it on hand in your freezer for busy nights. Just make sure to cool the sauce completely in the refrigerator first, then transfer to the freezer. The sauce will stay good in the freezer for months. To reheat, empty the freezer container into a sauce pot and heat over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
Spaghetti with Hidden Vegetable Pasta Sauce
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1 small zucchini ($0.57)
- 2 carrots ($0.16)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.25)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1/2 lb. ground beef ($2.50)
- 1/2 tsp dried basil ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp Freshly cracked black pepper ($0.03)
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper (optional) ($0.02)
- 1 24oz. jar pasta sauce* ($1.49)
- 12 oz. spaghetti ( $0.75)
Instructions
- Use a cheese grater to grate the zucchini and carrots. You'll want about 1.5 cups of each, but the amount is flexible. Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
- Add the olive oil and ground beef to a large, deep skillet. Cook the ground beef over medium heat until it is fully browned. Add the diced onion and garlic and continue to sauté a few minutes more, or until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add the shredded zucchini and carrots to the skillet along with the basil, oregano, salt, freshly cracked pepper, and a pinch of red pepper. Continue to sauté until the vegetables are wilted (about five minutes).
- Add the pasta sauce to the skillet and stir to combine. Allow the contents of the skillet to come up to a simmer, then turn the heat down to low and simmer the sauce as you prepare the spaghetti. Stir the sauce occasionally as it simmers.
- Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions, then drain in a colander. Return the drained spaghetti to the pot with the heat turned off. Add one cup of the prepared sauce to the pasta and stir to coat. Divide the pasta into serving bowls and top with additional sauce.
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Equipment
- Grater
- Chef’s Knife
- White Cutting Boards
Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Hidden Vegetable Pasta Sauce – Step by Step Photos
Start by preparing your vegetables. Use a cheese grater to grate one small zucchini and two carrots. You’ll want about 1.5 cups each, but this is flexible so don’t sweat it if you have a little more or less. Also dice one yellow onion and mince two cloves of garlic.
Add 1/2 lb. ground beef in a large deep skillet with 1 Tbsp olive oil and cook over medium heat until the beef has browned. Once browned, add the diced onion and minced garlic. Sauté for a few minutes more, or until the onions are soft and translucent.
Add the shredded zucchini and carrots to the skillet along with 1/2 tsp dried basil, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp salt, about ¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional). Continue to sauté the vegetables until they soften, or about five minutes.
Finally, add one 24oz. jar of your favorite pasta sauce and stir to combine. Allow the sauce to come back up to a simmer, then turn the heat down to low and continue to let the contents of the skillet simmer as you begin to prepare your spaghetti.
Stir the sauce occasionally as it simmers. The vegetables will continue to soften as the sauce simmers, further “hiding” them in the sauce.
Cook 12oz. of spaghetti according to the package directions, then drain in a colander. Return the pasta to the cooking pot with the heat turned off and add about 1 cup of the sauce. Stir to coat the pasta with the sauce.
Divide the pasta into serving bowls, then top each bowl with additional sauce. This stuff is seriously so good, my mouth is watering just looking at that bowl!
And don’t forget, this sauce is freezer-friendly! Just make sure to cool it completely in the refrigerator first, then place in a freezer-safe container (I used freezer bags), label, date, and freeze for later! It can be thawed in a saucepot over low, stirring occasionally.
I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious. I used ground turkey instead of ground beef and it turned out great! I will definitely be making this recipe again.
I love this website and refer to it often. It is my main go to when looking for recipes.
This was a hit! I doubled the ground beef. My kids loved it and had no idea about the hidden veggies.
I am going to try it ! Thank you
So so yummy! My whole family loved it!!!!!
I love this sauce because it is so versatile and can be made with just about any half-forgotten vegetable laying in the fridge. Using mushrooms instead of meat here works. I’ve also used it to go with my homemade veggie ‘meatballs’ (made with chickpeas and other stuff) and it is very suited for that purpose. Or, use things like wieners, pancetta or ham cubes, lentils in place of the ground meat. They all work, just adjust the salt/umami depending on what you use.
This is really good. I thought it would be dry like so many other thick pasta sauces, but the zucchini and carrots lend lots of moisture to the sauce allowing it to spread easily over the noodles.
This is so good!!! I just made it for the first time tonight and it’s definitely going in the dinner rotation! It definitely checks all the boxes— easy, delicious, healthy, and affordable.
Also, I’m vegetarian so I used Beyond ground beef and it worked great.
I’ve been making this recipe for years with different ground beef substitutes- it’s the perfect recipe for easing into them since there are so many other flavors! Definitely recommend making a vegetarian version like this.
thanks for the recipe really loved the option to change the servings
glad i bumped into this recipe and website
My boyfriend and I make this at least once a week–it’s that delicious! Thank you so much for sharing!:)
Outstanding. It’s amazing.
I’ve made this recipe consistently for years now. It’s foolproof. The only thing I’ve changed is tossing the onions in with the raw meat at the beginning, since otherwise I find them too crunchy/raw for my liking. My kids devour it, and I love that there’s less red meat. We make it with ground turkey sometimes, too. So so good.
My kids loved it!
Nice recipe…
I should try to make that. thank you for sharing the recipe, I want to make it but it looks like I have to learn first
I have an Olive Garden “knock off” recipe that calls for grated carrot too. I often substitute cooked lentils for half the meat – combined with whole grain the lentils provide meat quality protein and are cheaper than meat per ounce, plant-protein and high fiber. The zucchini is genius!
What is the serving size? It would be helpful if you could include service sizes for your recipes. Looks tasty!
I love adding grated zucchini & carrots to my warmed pasta sauce (no meat) and then the cooked spaghetti.
Put in casserole dish and top with grated cheese (jack or mozzarella) and some diced green onion.
Bake it in a pan in the oven at 350 for about 25 minutes top if you warmed the sauce first..
Got the idea from a local restaurant. They called it Spaghetti con Queso.
Been making it for years. So good!!!!!
Looks good! We don’t eat beef, though. Do you think it would work with ground Turkey breast?
Thanks
Yes, I think ground turkey would also work well in this. :)
Try cooked lentils in place of beef. It looks like hamburger and when served over whole grain pasta the lentils + grain = whole (meat quality) protein. A little cheese on top adds even more protein. (Tip: cook the lentils in a little water or your favorite stock. Cooking légumes in tomato sauce seems to make them tough)
Also another great place to use riced cauliflower!
So true! Thanks for that reminder!
I’ve been doing this for years and my kids didn’t suspect anything. I got the idea from Lydia Bastianich in one of her cookbooks. The pasta sauce recipe listed carrot, onions and celery as ingredients along with the tomatoes, garlic and herbs, so I’ve been adding all of those ingredients to my sauce, and ripe bell peppers pulsed in a food processor are also delicious. Because I have big eaters, I always use pulsed mushrooms to extend the hamburger, and my son who hates mushrooms loves the sauce. Your sauce looks so delicious with the zucchini and the carrot!
I love the idea of adding mushrooms! Dried mushrooms are a go to ingredient I use to add umami flavor. Sometimes I grind them to powder sometimes just break them into small pieces.
Great recipe! I always add lots of vegetables to spaghetti sauce, but usually keep the veg chunky for a heartier texture.
Grating would blend the veg better with the meat – I’m def. going to try this! Thanks, Beth!
When making homemade tomato sauce, many recipes call for you to add sugar I puree cooked carrots and add that instead. You still get the sweetness, but the carrots add great subtle flavor and have to be healthier for you than straight sugar. And you get all the extra vegetable goodness.
That is a genius idea, I’ll have to do that next time I make sauce!
Hi! How long does this recipe last in the fridge?
Thank you,
Angela
Every fridge is different but I’d say up to 4 days!
This recipe is awesome an it’s amazing how this was posted on my Dads 94 th birthday. He’s had a craving for spaghetti. But, he can’t have it due to his swallowing issues. So I made this puréed it on top of puréed mashed sweet potatoes. It was a hit an he loved it. The combinations although sound odd taste well together.
I really miss zucchini in the winter. I even sometimes break down and buy it in the winter!
I love having it my garden and using it all summer long once it starts to “come in”
I prefer it to the spaghetti squash as a low carb replacement for pasta(lets here it for zunoodles).
The other one is french style green beans as a pasta replacement base.
It says recipe updates 4/2021, what was changed from the original recipe (which we LOVE)?
Just photos and text, the recipe didn’t need any changes other than editing the wording for clarity. :)
One of our new favorites!! My husband said he likes this over regular spaghetti.
I am not known for being a good cook. We had a family gathering this summer after quarantining for it. I made this spaghetti recipe for my night. I made two batches, one totally vegetarian for my daughter, using diced mushrooms. I also added some mushrooms to the meat batch. Everyone loved it! It was the best meal I have made for my family when we split cooking. Thanks!
Can you freeze the sauce?
Yes most definitely!
Delicious! Instead of carrots I used diced mushrooms which really helped to make it bigger. I was afraid this wouldn’t make enough food/be filling enough with only half a pound of meat but it made the perfect amount.
Delicious sauce. My picky daughter gobbled up the sauce without realizing it had zucchini and carrots in it. I will definitely make it again for my family.
It’s 2018 and I’m just coming across this recipe. I really thoughts my super picky toddlers wouldn’t eat this cause the veggies aren’t hidden . They LOVED it. I used a little over 1 cup each of zucchini & carrot and the sauce very chunky. . the kids still ate it. I’m making it again this week which makes it the 2nd time in 3 weeks, it’s that good. I will try to cut down the veggies to 1 cup each, plus the whole onion. Super delicious !
Very tasty. Thanks!
This looks great! Instead of grating the veggies, I prefer to throw my veggies in my little Ninja chopper. Such a time saver!
I am so delighted with this recipe! For cardiac reasons I have to monitor my sodium and fat intake closely and this recipe fit perfectly into my diet plan. The veggies work very nicely in this recipe. I did everything exactly as written with the exception that I used a low sodium marinara pasta sauce, cut the added salt in half and used 1/2 T olive oil. I did add the optional pinch of red pepper flakes to kick things up a notch. Finding recipes that are flavorful, easy to make and yet stay within the confines of my restrictions can sometimes be a challenge. I will be making this recipe again and sharing it with other family members! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Just wrote this in my meal plan for next week for probably the 5th or 6th time! I often double this recipe and freeze portions for a rainy day, and it tastes just as good from frozen.
I also love how easily adjustable it is; I sometimes add a can of mushrooms or a chopped green pepper to the recipe.
My boyfriend and I jokingly tell each other that since there are vegetables in the sauce, “It’s basically salad!”.
Hahahah it really is! LOL
I love your site, budget bytes and have prepared many of your recipes with success.
Recently, when using your site, the screen “locks” up or becomes totally “unresponsive” Too many adds clog the site and often times shut it down. Can you modify your site to become more “user” friendly?
Keep up your excellent work, and help the public return to “cooking for themselves”!
Best
Jim Beard
http://www.votejimbeard.com
Thanks for letting me know! A couple other people have mentioned this, too, so my ad guy is working on it. Hopefully it will be resolved soon! Sorry for the inconvenience. :(
I made this for my family and it was delicious. We normaly have spaghetti with peppers and onions. So this was different for us.but thanks for giving me something different and more healthy while filling to eat.i definitely am going to stick with this.
This was incredible. Easy way to sneak in veggies.
This recipe is a game changer for me. I’d never have thought to put shredded vegetables in a meat sauce, but the additional texture is fantastic (chewy, without being crunchy). Destined to join the regular rotation, I think.
Is 1/2 lb or 2lbs? On the pinterest ingredients screen it indicates 2lbs?
It’s 1/2 lb. Pinterest auto-pulls that information and it always messes it up for some reason. I’ve emailed them and they haven’t offered a solution. So, my suggestion would be to never trust the ingredients listed on a pin, but always visit the site and get the information there. :(
This turned out great, although I subbed the beef for turkey and used the Barilla Tomato & Basil sauce, and no zucchini. Still wonderful, next time I will add the zucchini.
Doubled the garlic and added a touch more salt to the sauce. Delicious. Any recipe that can make me like zucchini and carrots is a good one.
I need to start reviewing these recipes that I make. Seriously. I have made over 20+ BB recipes, and haven’t reviewed a single delicious one.
This really made me want to eat spaghetti, and I’m not big on it AT ALL. I love variety, so the vegetables made me want to try it. It made the sauce so savory! Defs dug the sauce. If I had to be honest, 4/5 WITH spaghetti (only because I’m not a huge fan), but 5/5 on the sauce alone.
Back in my starving student days I would often make egg plant spagetti sauce. Just add a whole cubed egg plant to the mix after you have sauted the other veg. Cook until soft in the sauce. Peeled or not, depending on your taste, it gives even a greater sense of having a full pot of sauce with “meaty” chumks. Cooked in the sauce it also does not absorb oil the way sauteing egg plant so often does.
Sounds like a great way to enjoy spaghetti AND get lots of veggies. Can’t wait to make this.
We do this too, but we go for a Bologhnese-style sauce. We also use 1 lb organic grass fed beef, 1 cup beef stock; half pound mushrooms, 1 red pepper, 1 cup wine, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Onions, garlic and herbs, salt and pepper as per your recipe. Dash of pepper sauce to keep things interesting. Makes seven portions for USD10 and works great out of the freezer as lunch or supper.
Did you peel the zucchini before you shredded it? I wouldn’t think you’d have to, just wondering! Looks amazing and spaghetti was already on the menu for next week so now I’ve I got to use this recipe!
Nope, I just shredded the whole thing, peel and all. :)
Thank you so much for this recipe. I made it for my fiance and we both are loving it (for lunch three times this week!). I also made the sauce, without the meat (we used ground turkey) and put it over a baked panko-crusted chicken. It was amazing. Thanks for giving me confidence in the kitchen – it feels great when I can watch others enjoy my cooking!
This is a really good way to get more veggies into your diet and cut down on red meat. This is going into my weekly food routine starting tomorrow..Thanks for posting it.:-)
We tend to make our spaghetti sauces like this a lot – except with pork & veal mince instead of ground beef (in my part of the world, they’re actually cheaper than decent ground beef some days). It’s fantastic for kids who hate vegetables, or for adults who claim to hate them. My brother-in-law gets me to make it up for him so that he doesn’t ‘see’ the veggies, but still actually eats some. Most awesome.
Hey, have you ever tried making the spaghetti from spaghetti squash? My friend does it all the time to make it truly vegetarian. She says it tastes about the same too
And leave out the beef obviously
Very yummy! I made this using your homemade marinara sauce recipe I made over the weekend. It was delicious! I added mushrooms to this and left out one carrot. Very easy and tasty recipe :) tried to give this 5 stars but wouldn’t let me
This was so good! This is my new favorite easy pasta recipe. I do need a bigger holed shredder tho, the zuchini went mushy.
What can be better than a bowl of spaghetti like this? I use lean beef too, it makes a big difference to the quality of the sauce.
I also make a similar version to this, but I load it up with carrot, celery, zucchini, one green, red, and yellow pepper, and mushrooms along with my ground beef. The more veggies the better!
Made a double batch of this yesterday and served it over homemade pasta. A healthy and filling recipe. Next time I’ll add some red wine to the sauce.
It’s like you came into my kitchen and stole my spag sauce recipe :) I have made this exact recipe for years only with one can each of tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and tomato paste (rather than prefab sauce) and about 4x the spices. Yum yum, easy on the wallet and freezes great both with and without pasta!
So, do you freeze the spaghetti with the sauce, or just the sauce and then reheat that for later? Just started learning about freezing stuff :-)
I personally haven’t made this exact recipe but when I make pasta with meat/veggie/tomato sauce both work. Just note that if you decide to freeze it all together your pasta might end up a bit soft because of the reheating – I personally don’t mind that, though.
Yep, that’s all I do. :)
I freeze it both with or without sauce depending how much pasta I cooked! It does soften a bit, so I tend to use rotini or another pasta that is a bit more forgiving for becoming softer than al dente as opposed to spaghetti which I find becomes a textureless mush (and also is not so appealing to slurp up leftovers at work!)
This looks so good! I will make it vegetarian with the minced mushrooms and also add cooked brown lentils with the sauce.
Tthis is really really good! We had parsnips instead of carrots. Soooo delicious!
Oh your photo makes me want to cook some for breakfast lol! I will definitely have to try this recipe. I have added vegetables before but never thought of zucchini! Which is crazy since I have made lasagna using zucchini in place of the lasagna noodles! Thanks for another tasty recipe!
I like any recipes for sauce, but I try to grow everything I can… I don’t get along with pasta, so I substitute squash, which I need to buy, and grow everything else… I don’t use any chemicals at all in my organic garden, only the fertilizer Sea Magic… If you are a grower, you can read reviews of Sea Magic at Burpee.com and buy several places online or locally…
I end up with more tomatoes, oregano, basil, thyme and onions than I can use, even if I ate a sauce recipe every day
This looks delicious. Love the additional of veggies. Thanks for sharing. Pinned.
I also really like to add additional vegetables to my meat sauce. I usually use a pound of carrots and a pound of ground beef. I love the idea of shredding the vegetables – I usually just cut my vegetables by hand, and it takes forever!
Yum! Classic belly filler and great for portioning out into leftovers too. Also, if you have any leftover red wine around, the sauce appreciates it :)
Since I need to limit my sodium, I might try this with a 28-oz. can of crushed tomatoes. That’s how I make meat sauce without the veggies.