Red sauce pasta is a delicious recipe of pasta and mixed veggies in a homemade tangy and bright tomato sauce. Make this pasta with or without veggies and they taste good every time. I like to add veggies as they give a good taste and also increase the nutrition factor. This red sauce pasta is especially good for kids who like pasta but refuse to eat vegetables.
About This Red Sauce Pasta
This red sauce pasta is so tasty you will want to keep on making it. Preparing the pasta, sauce and veggies all together will take some time, so if you are looking for a quicker meal, you can prepare the sauce ahead of time and refrigerate it. This dish is vegetarian.
You can prepare this Red Sauce Pasta with or without vegetables. It tastes great, whichever way you want to make it. I like to add vegetables as they give a good taste, texture and also increase the nutrition factor.
I worked on this recipe of Red Sauce Pasta on those many requests that I had been getting from my readers. Since paste dishes are equally a favorite with the kids as well as grown-ups, it was not surprising for me to receive so many requests for the same.
One of those requests was for a pasta in red sauce and so I am sharing this delicious recipe. You will find links to more pasta recipes later in this post and I will be continuing to add more versions of pasta recipes to the blog.
Ingredients You Need
This recipe of Red Sauce Pasta will help you dish out a really nice, homely and comforting dish for your loved ones. While the recipe is a basic guide that you can refer to for making the dish, here are some of the ingredients/elements that are quite a must for this recipe. You may or may not want to modify the quantities of these, but keep in mind about these:
- Red Sauce: The homemade sauce is made with fresh tomatoes, garlic and herbs. Since tomatoes are the main ingredient, be sure to use ones which are ripe, red and less tangy. I have used fresh basil leaves as the main herb in the sauce.
If you are making the red sauce pasta only for yourself or grown-ups, then you can add white or red wine in it. Otherwise, skip if making for kids, you can use balsamic vinegar instead.
- Pasta: For the pasta, you can use semolina or whole wheat pasta. Also, you can use spaghetti, penne, fusilli, farfalle or shell pasta.
- Veggies: The mushrooms and bell peppers (capsicum) used in this recipe are sautéed in the pasta sauce. Alternatively, you can even steam or sauté the mushrooms and peppers (capsicum) separately.
Or, if you do not use mushrooms or peppers (capsicum), then just prepare the tomato sauce and add the steamed veggies at the end. For the veggies, I have used a mix of cauliflower florets, carrots and potatoes. I have also added some sweet corn. Green peas work instead of sweet corn or you can do a mix of both.
Step-by-Step Guide
How to Make Red Sauce Pasta
Preparing the Veggies
1. First steam or cook 1 cup mix chopped veggies until they are cooked and tender. They should not be overcooked.
You can steam or cook them in a pressure cooker for 1 whistle or steam in a steamer pan. You can even steam the veggies in an Instant Pot for 10 minutes. Set aside.
Cooking the Pasta
2. Heat 2.5 cups water, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon oil in a pan until the water comes to a boil.
3. Then add 100 grams or 1 cup of the pasta.
4. On a medium to high heat begin to cook the pasta.
5. Cook pasta until al dente or completely cooked.
6. Then strain the pasta using a colander or strainer. Set aside.
Making Red Sauce Pasta
7. In a food chopper, food processor, mixer or blender, crush 2 large tomatoes (220 grams) to a puree. Set aside.
8. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan or wok or kadai. Add 1 small to medium Indian bay leaf (tej patta) and 4 small to medium garlic cloves (finely chopped).
Sauté for some seconds until the raw aroma of garlic goes away. No need to brown the garlic.
9. Add ⅓ cup of finely chopped onions.
10. Begin to sauté the onions on a low to medium heat.
11. Sauté until the onions turn translucent stirring often.
12. Then add the tomato puree. If using ready store bought tomato puree, measure out and add 1 cup of it.
13. Mix very well and begin to sauté the mixture.
14. Stir at intervals and sauté until you see the oil leaving the sides and the sauce has thickened a bit. This means that the tomato puree has cooked.
Adding mushrooms and capsicum
15. Then add 1.25 cups chopped mushrooms.
16. Mix very well.
17. Sauté for 6 to 7 minutes on a low to medium heat.
18. Next add ⅓ cup of chopped bell peppers (capsicum). Stir and mix well.
19. Sauté the bell peppers (capsicum) for 4 to 5 minutes on a low to medium flame. By now the bell peppers (capsicum) will be half cooked and the mushrooms will be cooked.
20. Add ½ teaspoon sugar or as required.
21. Then add ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg powder and ¼ to ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
22. Next add salt as per taste. Mix very well. If using wine, then you can add 1 tablespoon white or red at this stage.
Add 1 tablespoon white or red wine. Instead of wine you can also add ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar.
23. Include the steamed veggies and ⅓ cup steamed sweet corn kernels in the sauce.
24. Then add the cooked pasta.
25. Gently toss and mix everything very well, so that the red sauce coats the pasta as well as the veggies. At this step, you can also add some cream or grated cheese if you want.
26. Lastly switch off the heat. Add 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh basil leaves. Mix well.
27. Serve red sauce pasta hot or warm or cold. This pasta tastes good even when served at room temperature. While serving you can garnish with some grated cheese.
Tips
Helpful Tips
- This is not specifically an Indian style pasta recipe, so feel free to use a combination of herbs and vegetables that you like.
- Make sure you are not over steaming or over cooking the vegetables. There should be a crunch in them.
- If you want you can skip adding the veggies. The tomato sauce with just the pasta also tastes good.
- You can make the recipe completely vegan by skipping adding cheese for garnish or using a vegan cheese.
- You can choose any type of pasta to make this dish.
- You can use any oil in place of olive oil.
- Add tomatoes that are ripe, red and less sour. You can also use readymade tomato puree in this recipe.
A Few More Tasty Pasta recipes
- White sauce pasta: an easy-to-make recipe of cooked pasta in a delicious white sauce.
- Mac and cheese: a creamy and cheesy dish with a light crunchy topping of breadcrumbs and gooey melted cheese.
- Macaroni pasta: a tasty macaroni recipe made Indian style with onion, tomatoes, mixed vegetables and spices.
- Arrabiata pasta: a popular pasta recipe from the Italian cuisine made with tomatoes, garlic and red chili flakes.
- Alfredo pasta: a creamy pasta made with fresh cream and mixed veggies.
Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more veetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.
Red Sauce Pasta (With Vegetables)
Delicious red sauce pasta in a red tangy tomato sauce with mix veggies.
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 40 mins
for cooking pasta
veggies for red sauce pasta
other ingredients
Cooking veggies
Firstly steam or cook 1 cup mix chopped veggies till they are cooked and tender. They should not be over cooked. You can steam or cook them in a pressure cooker for 1 whistle or steam in a steamer pan.
For the veggies I have used a mix of cauliflower florets, carrots and potatoes. I have also added some sweet corn (⅓ cup). You can also add some green peas instead of sweet corn or a mix of both.
Cooking pasta
Heat 2.5 cups water, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon oil in a pan till the water comes to a boil.
Then add 100 grams or 1 cup of the pasta.
On a medium to high flame cook till the pasta is al dente or completely cooked.
Then in a colander or strainer, strain the pasta and keep aside.
Making red sauce
In a food chopper, food processor or in a mixer or blender, crush 2 large tomatoes (220 grams) to a puree. Keep aside. No need to blanch the tomatoes.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan or wok or kadai. Add 1 small to medium tej patta and 4 small to medium garlic cloves (finely chopped). Saute for some seconds till the raw aroma of garlic goes away. No need to brown the garlic.
Add ⅓ cup finely chopped onions and begin to saute the onions on a low to medium flame.
Saute till the onions turn translucent.
Then add tomato puree. If using ready store brought tomato puree, then add 1 cup tomato puree.
Mix very well and begin to saute the mixture.
Stir at intervals and saute till you see the oil leaving the sides and the sauce has thickened a bit. This means that the tomato puree has cooked.
Then add 1.25 cups chopped mushrooms.
Mix very well and saute for 6 to 7 minutes on a low to medium flame.
Next add ⅓ cup chopped capsicum. Mix well.
Saute the capsicum for 4 to 5 minutes on a low to medium flame. By now the capsicum will be half cooked and the mushrooms will be cooked.
Add ½ teaspoon sugar or as required.
Then add ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg powder & ¼ to ½ teaspoon black pepper powder.
Next add salt as per taste. Mix very well. If using white or red wine, then you can add at this stage. Add 1 tablespoon white or red wine.
Making red sauce pasta
Add the steamed veggies and ⅓ cup boiled sweet corn kernels.
Then add the cooked pasta.
Gently toss and mix everything very well, so that the red sauce coats the pasta as well as the veggies. At this step you can also add some grated cheese or cream and mix.
Lastly switch off the flame. Add 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil leaves. Mix well.
Serve red sauce pasta hot or warm or cold. This pasta tastes good even when served at room temperature. You can garnish it with some grated cheese while serving.
- For the pasta, you can use semolina or whole wheat pasta.
- Also you can use spaghetti, penne, fusilli, farfalle or shell pasta.
- Add veggies of your choice or skip them if you want.
- Fresh or dried herbs of your choice can be added.
- Use dried basil, if you do not have fresh basil leaves.
- Please use tomatoes which are ripe, red and less tangy.
Nutrition Facts
Red Sauce Pasta (With Vegetables)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 255 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 7mg2%
Sodium 826mg36%
Potassium 441mg13%
Carbohydrates 32g11%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 2890IU58%
Vitamin C 25.2mg31%
Calcium 81mg8%
Iron 1.2mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This Red Sauce Paste post from the blog archives first published on November 2016 has been updated and republished on January 2023.
Source: Dassana’s Veg Recipes
