Easy Loaded Vegetable Marinara
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With a few simple ingredients, this Easy Loaded Vegetable Marinara can quickly transform what could be monotonous and mundane into something delicious!
Who loves an easy spaghetti with marinara sauce? In our house, it's both a favorite and a hated meal. Our oldest loves it, but my husband doesn't. Even though he knows I make it good, he still grumbles a little bit when our girls request me to make it.
I used to make it for her a lot more anytime my husband deployed because hello, she would eat it. I mean, how many times do we struggle to find things picky kids will eat regularly? Let's just say our oldest would go on hunger strikes and only want to eat certain foods. One deployment, when he left, she went for a week of only wanting to eat butter. I'm not talking butter on toast and in things. No, I'm talking straight butter. So, of course, her wanting spaghetti the next time around this mama was totally okay with me.
Ever since we no longer do gluten, spaghetti took a little bit of a back seat. Neither my husband or our oldest were fans of many of the gluten-free pastas that were on the market back then. Trust me, the quality of something as simple as gluten-free pasta has come leaps and bounds in the last five years alone. Not to mention they are way more readily available now too.
Gluten-Free Pastas
Boxed
You can easily find different gluten-free varieties in the marketplace these days, but here are a few we've tried and our favorites.
- Banza Chickpea Pasta (it does contain Xanthan gum derived from corn, so if you can't handle corn, I don't recommend this one. This is not one I, in particular, eat but my kids and husband like it.)
- Jovial Foods Pasta This one is a brown rice-based pasta. I used to be able to find it more before we moved, but it was one our daughter liked a lot.
- Barilla Gluten Free Pasta This one I have found the most abundantly locally. It does contain rice and corn. They did recently release a chickpea one that I am completely in love with.
Zoodles (zucchini noodles)
These are my main go-to for easy weeknight dinners. I do, however, find that there are a few tips and tricks I've found to make the most of them both in flavor and texture to get them as close to regular noodles as they can be.
- Use a spiralizer - You can easily make different shapes using zucchinis and any vegetable you can think to use. Plus, it makes easy curly fries when the mood strikes, haha.
- Regarding zucchini, in particular, I like to let the "pasta" sit overnight or at least 30 min on some paper towels to allow the extra moisture release. This helps to reduce the liquid it will release once you add it to your desired sauce, making it watery and runny. I mean, no one wants a watery pasta dish.
- Do not pre-cook the pasta - You're probably wondering what I mean by this. Usually, you'll see how people bake or parboil zoodles before adding them. Next time you make them skip this step before adding them to your dish. I promise they will cook fast once you add them to your warm sauce, and they will have that nice tender-crisp texture more like that of regular noodles.
If you want to hide that they are zoodles a little bit for those super picky eaters, peel them before you cut them. Zucchinis are pale in color, and when you remove the skin and cover them in the sauce, they look a lot like regular noodles when they are cut.
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You could always try your hand at making your own gluten-free pasta as well. It is pretty easy to do. I do recommend a few tools to make it a little bit easier to shape and use.
Hand Pasta Tools
- Pasta Roller - I've found with fresh pasta having it rolled completely even makes a huge difference in its cooks. This is my favorite hand crank roller. It does come with cutting attachments; however, I find at least; I don't think it reduces the gluten-free pasta since the structure is different from traditional pasta.
- Pasta Cutter - This little tool might seem silly, but it does make a lot of pasta fast instead of cutting each piece individually.
- Pasta Drying Rack - Not necessarily usually, but I've found when I'm making larger batches having it dry more evenly. If it's something I will use the same day, I usually don't dry it.
Fun Pasta Tools
These aren't needed, but they are fun little tools that can have you making all the fun shapes and types of pasta that you couldn't or would have a much harder time making them by hand.
- KitchenAid Pasta Roller and Cutter - This is like the can crank one, but it lets your KitchenAid do all the work. I do find this cutter works better than the hand crank one with the gluten-free pasta.
- KitchenAid Gourmet Pasta Press - This is the tool to get if you want to make all the fancy little pieces of pasta you can easily buy at the store. It can make spaghetti, bucatini, rigatoni, fusilli, large or small macaroni.
- Ravioli Molds - Again, not something you'll make every day, but I have found making homemade ravioli tastes leaps and bounds better than store-bought. Plus, it's grain-free and just the flavor I want!
Marinara Sauce
A good marinara sauce is simple to make. Sure there are many different varieties you can buy at your local store. However, not many of them say certified gluten-free. On top of that, a lot of them contain citric acid. This ingredient, in particular, is something I avoid since its source is not usually listed, and in the U.S., it can be derived from corn starch and sources of black mold. I mean, who wants to eat that?
If I do buy a store-bought sauce, I usually get Rao's locally.
However, recently I was introduced to Otamot Essential Sauce. This sauce goes beyond the traditional marinara sauce you would find on the pasta aisle of the store. It's a vegetable powerhouse sauce, all while tasting delicious. I mean, hello, anytime I can get my kids (or my husband) to eat more vegetables and them not question, it's a win-win in my book. Bonus could easily use this sauce as a base for many different recipes (including this one) and not just a typical marinara sauce.
If you are in the northeast, check their store locator for a retailer near you or you can shop their online store and have it delivered!
What Makes this Better than Store Bought?
- It's Less Expensive - You can make double or triple the amount of this sauce for the same price as quality store brands.
- Depth of Flavor - I am not shy about seasoning our Marinara Sauce for plenty of Italian flavor and added ingredients you wouldn't expect but will never make without them again.
- Customization - You can customize your homemade Marinara Sauce to your tastes – tangier, less tangy, spicy, creamy, smooth, chunky, meat or vegetarian, etc.
- Quick Simmer - This Marinara Sauce only requires minutes to simmer on the stove, but the flavor in that time will have the whole family asking for seconds!
- Make-Ahead - You can make this Marinara Sauce days in advance and refrigerate or freeze until you're ready to use.
- Double or Triple - This Marinara Sauce is easy to double or triple for future use.
- Freezer friendly - This Marinara Sauce freezes exceptionally well, so you make a triple batch and freeze, so you'll always have homemade Marinara Sauce at your fingertips.
How to Freeze Marinara Sauce
- Prepare the marinara sauce recipe according to instructions.
- Let sauce cool completely.
- Next, transfer the sauce into freezer-safe airtight containers or freezer bags that you plan to store them in.
- Squeeze out any excess air, seal, and label.
- Then freeze Marinara for up to 3 months.
- When ready to use, let Marinara Sauce defrosts in the refrigerator overnight.
- Gently heat over the stove.
Now that we know what we are using our marinara let's make an Easy, Loaded Vegetable Marinara that everyone will love!
More Gluten-Free Pasta Recipes
Baked Chicken Parmesan Casserole
Buffalo Ranch Chicken Casserole
Easy Loaded Vegetable Marinara
Ingredients
- 2 TBS Olive Oil
- 1 C Carrots small diced
- 1 C Onion diced
- 1 C Mushroom sliced
- 1 C Mixed Bell Peppers diced
- 2-3 C Kale or Spinach chopped
- 28 OZ Crushed Tomatoes
- ¼ C Tomato Paste
- 1 TBS Coconut Aminos
- 1 TBS Honey
- 1 TBS Balsamic Vinegar
- 4 Cloves Garlic minced
- 1 TSP Basil
- 1 TSP Sage
- 2 TSP Parsley
- 1 TSP Oregano
- ½ TSP Thyme
- 1 TSP Salt
- ½ TSP Pepper
- ½ TSP Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 lb Ground Beef, Turkey or meat of Choice Optional or leave out for a vegetarian sauce.
Instructions
- Cook and drain the meat if using then continue.
- In a pan, over medium heat add the olive oil, onion, carrots, and bell peppers stirring now and then until starting to soften.
- Add the mushrooms and garlic and let cook another minute or so
- Add the remaining ingredients besides the kale, and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes.
- Add the chopped kale and let it wilt with the heat off.
- Serve warm over your chosen pasta of choice and enjoy, or let cool to store for later use.
Notes
- Prepare the marinara sauce recipe according to instructions.
- Let sauce cool completely.
- Next, transfer the sauce into freezer-safe airtight containers or freezer bags that you plan to store them in.
- Squeeze out any excess air, seal, and label.
- Then freeze Marinara for up to 3 months.
- When ready to use, let Marinara Sauce defrosts in the refrigerator overnight.
- Gently heat over the stove.
Let me know what you think or if you have any questions.