Got odds and ends of veggies hanging around you need to use up? This is the perfect solution.

This sauce is loaded to the max with veggies and it is great to make a big batch of so you can freeze some and take out a portion when you need it. It is the perfect sauce to use to make mince dishes like spaghetti bolognaise and chilli to enjoy with nachos. It also doubles as the perfect healthy pizza sauce.

This is how I made the sauce this time, but quantities are very flexible and add in any veg you have and leave out any that you don’t!

Ingredients:

• 8 cloves of garlic
• 3 large onions
• 3 sticks of celery
• 3 carrots
• 2 courgettes
• 1 orange kumara
• 1 broccoli stalk (optional)
• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 6 tbsp tomato puree
• 4 cans of tomatoes
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp oil for cooking
• Seasoning
• Optional: Splash of red wine

How to make:

1. Firstly, prep the vegetables ready to blend them up:

   Onions - peel and chop into quarters

   Celery - chop each stick into 4-6 pieces

   Carrots – peel and chop into 4-6 pieces

   Courgettes – remove top and bottom and cut each into 6 pieces

   Kumara – peel and chop into 3cm cubes

   Broccoli stem – throw away the woody outer layer, keeping the inner soft flesh of the stem.

2. Add the vegetables to your food processor (you may need to do this in a couple of batches depending on the size of the bowl on your food processor) and blend into small chunks. I use my Kenwood Food processor for this.

3. Heat the oil in a large pan (ideally non-stick) and add the blended vegetables and cook over a medium heat until they start to soften.

4. Add tomato paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes stirring all the time.

5. Add the canned tomatoes, sugar, oregano, seasoning and splash of wine if you are using it and cook for 30-40 minutes. Allow to cool.

6. Add the sauce back into the food processor and blend until smooth. You may need to do this in batches. Alternatively, you can blend in the saucepan with a hand blender. The Kenwood Triblade is ideal.