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Hidden-Veg Tomato Butter Sauce

Smooth hidden-veg tomato butter sauce built from marinara, onion, carrot, zucchini, garlic, and butter. Kid-friendly, freezer-friendly, and perfect for meatballs, pasta, rice bowls, and thermos lunches.

Cuisine: Italian · Dish Type: Sauce/Condiment · Prep: 10 min · Cook: 25 min · Servings: 6–8 sauce portions · Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Freezer-Friendly: freeze in tablespoon cubes for kids' lunches or 1–2 cup portions for pasta, meatballs, chicken pasta, and emergency dinners. Reheat gently and loosen with water, broth, milk, or pasta water as needed.

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil or olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, grated or diced small
  • 1 medium zucchini, grated or diced small
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste, optional
  • 1 jar Rao's Marinara, 31 oz
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth or water, plus more as needed
  • 1 tsp dried oregano, optional
  • 1 tsp dried basil, optional
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt, then adjust carefully
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2–3 tbsp butter

Instructions

  1. Set a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat.
  2. Add 2 tbsp oil.
  3. Add 1 large diced onion, 2 grated or diced carrots, 1 grated or diced zucchini, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt.
  4. Cook uncovered for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and the zucchini moisture mostly cooks off.
  5. Add 4 cloves minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds max, stirring constantly.
  6. Optional: add 1 tbsp tomato paste and cook 1 minute if you want a deeper tomato flavor.
  7. Add 1 jar Rao's Marinara, 1/2 cup chicken broth or water, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried basil, and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
  8. Bring to a simmer.
  9. Simmer partially covered for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  10. Blend until smooth with an immersion blender or carefully in batches.
  11. Stir in 2–3 tbsp butter.
  12. Taste before adding more salt. Rao's is already seasoned, so only add small pinches if it tastes flat.
  13. If the sauce gets too thick after blending, loosen with 1–2 tbsp broth or water at a time.

Tips

  • Texture target: smooth, spoonable, and slightly loose.
  • For kids' lunches, use 1–2 tbsp sauce cubes per thermos portion, then loosen as needed.
  • Add minced garlic only after the vegetables soften so it does not burn.
  • Store meatballs with enough sauce to keep them moist.
  • All hits, no misses — smooth, spoonable, freezer-friendly, and worked perfectly with the turkey meatballs.

Macros per serving (assuming 8 portions): ~90 cal · ~2g protein · ~10g carbs · ~5g fat