Including a range of vegetables in pasta sauce is one of my favorite ways to offer a variety of ingredients and flavors to the kids. Here are my absolute best vegetable sauces for pasta to share with the kids!
Vegetable Sauce for Pasta
Adding vegetables into what we feed our families—while ensuring the food is delicious and easy!—is something I love to do. It’s a great way to model that vegetables aren’t scary for the kids and to simply eat more of them. And so I add a lot of vegetables to pasta sauces.
I started with marinara sauce, then created single and mixed vegetable sauces—like Zucchini Sauce and Red Pepper Sauce—and worked on a stable of creamy pasta sauces, too. The collection that follows includes all of my favorite pasta sauces with veggies in the mix. I love to make these with my kids so they know what they are eating…and that they like the veggies!
This easy marinara sauce is super simple and flexible so you can adjust the recipe based on what you like and have on hand. Plus, extras freeze beautifully!
Serve this sauce with 1 pound of your family’s favorite pasta for an easy and healthy dinner.
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Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
This mac and cheese is a family favorite and is one of our go-to comfort food recipes. By adding the cauliflower right to the cheese sauce, we’re able to tuck a veggie right into the sauce without having to make a side dish to go with dinner.
With a simple cheese sauce—no standing and stirring over the stove here!—a solid dose of veggies, and a super creamy final result, this Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is a fast lunch or dinner option for toddlers. (And the rest of the family, too!)
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Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
If your family loves creamy, cheesy pasta and you’re looking for a simple way to up their veggie intake—because aren’t we always?!—this super simple 5-Ingredient Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese needs to be on your menu asap.
Use your family’s favorite shape and type of pasta in this recipe. (We like elbows or mini shells!)
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Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese
It comes together in less than 15 minutes, is incredibly creamy, and tastes so darn good. Plus, there’s sweet potato in the mix to add flavor and nutrients. Win!
Friends, meet my new favorite lightning fast dish. This Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese requires just 5 simple ingredients, zero prep work, and is just the yummiest pasta recipe!
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Pasta in Broth
This is a simple meal that’s easy enough for a weeknight and can be adjusted for preferences and allergies as needed.
Learn how to make the easiest, yummiest Pasta in Brodo (broth) as a delicious meal to share with the kids. It’s nutritious, fast, and packed with delicious flavor.
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Green Pasta Sauce
It’s ready in less than 20 minutes, has two veggies in the mix, and is super easy to make. You can even freeze extra portions for future weeks!
Give homemade mac and cheese extra oomph with this power-packed Green Pasta Sauce. It is cheesy, has a dose of greens, and is super easy to make.
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Broccoli Pasta Sauce
It’s similar to my Green Pasta Sauce but uses broccoli instead of cauliflower in the sauce. It’s a great option for kids who may already love broccoli, who haven’t yet found a favorite way to eat it, or who need a cozy, cheesy pasta recipe!
Give homemade Broccoli Pasta extra yum with this power-packed cheese sauce that has 4 cups of broccoli built in. It is ready in less than 20 minutes, has two veggies in the mix, and is super easy to make. You can even freeze extra portions for future weeks!
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Cauliflower Alfredo
The sauce is incredibly easy, it’s just as creamy as you’d want from an Alfredo, and it’s not remotely intimidating. Plus, you can even make the sauce ahead of time and stash it in the fridge, so when you’re getting ready for dinner all you need to do is cook the pasta.
Packed with veggies and protein—and a mellow, cheesy flavor—this easy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce is such a delicious option when you want creamy pasta. You can even make the sauce ahead and stash it in the fridge as needed.
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Red Pepper Pasta
I love how roasting the peppers with onions and garlic deepens their flavors and that it’s as simple as blending everything together after that step.
With a simple, yet super flavorful sauce and an easy method that can be done ahead of time, this Red Pepper Pasta is a favorite family dinner to share.
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Serve up a filling, yummy baby meal with this easy Baby Pasta. It includes a tomato based sauce with extra veggies and beans blended in for an iron-rich meal perfect for lunch or dinner.
Adding beans and extra veggies helps make this easy baby pasta satisfying, nutritious, and yummy. Serve it more or less saucy as you like. (You can even freeze the sauce for easy future meals.)
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Zucchini Pasta Sauce
This pasta sauce is easy to make, easy to freeze, and is a delish option to toss with pasta. It has a mellow flavor that you can vary with the addition of basil and/or lemon, and it’s great with extra Parmesan.
Learn how to turn fresh zucchini into a bright and fresh pasta sauce with a simple method. Add the optional toppings for extra flavor as you and your family like. (Heads up: You’ll want to reserve a little of the pasta cooking water before you drain the pot.)
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Spinach Pesto
Pack your next pasta night (or pizza night) with nutrition using this super simple Spinach Pesto recipe. It’s made without nuts, so it’s budget-friendly and allergy safe—and it stores well in the fridge or freezer for future meals!
Try this healthy pesto with your favorite pasta or in place of pizza sauce on pizza!
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How to Store Vegetable Sauces for Pasta
You can store any sauce for 3-5 days in the refrigerator, or longer in the freezer. To freeze a sauce, let it cool, then either pour into an ice cube tray to make smaller portions or you can add to a freezer bag, press flat, remove the air, and seal. Then you can defrost it at room temperature, in the fridge overnight, or you can break off small pieces and stir right into hot pasta.
Best Tips for Success
- Remember that kids like to know what they are eating and if they find out we tried to sneak something in, they may never eat that food again. I try to call food what it is and have kids help make things when possible.
- Start with a little sauce, then add more to everyone’s liking.
- Add more flavor to your portion by adding crushed red pepper, cracked black pepper, fresh herbs such as parsley or basil, sheeps milk or feta cheese, or other desired toppings.
- Use whichever type of pasta your family prefer, whether classic semolina pasta, whole wheat, bean or legume-based pasta, or gluten-free.