This is my go-to summer recipe when two of the following conditions are met: 1) I have lots of random leftover vegetables and can’t think of what to do with them and 2) the hot summer takes a break and presents a day when I can turn the oven on without turning my entire house into a sauna.
The concept of this sauce is extremely simple, but the result is highly satisfactory. I love its versatility as well – you can use it for the obvious which is pasta, but you can use other starches as well like cous cous for example, or you can think outside the box and use it as a dipping sauce for vegetable sticks and any other dippable foods.
I also have to mention that this recipe is extremely freezer friendly – it is a top candidate for your emergency freezer stash. If you’re interested in the topic of stocking the freezer (as well as other ways to minimize time and effort in the kitchen), I explore it in one of the chapters of my e-book “Guide to healthy eating from shopping to plate”.
You can use many varieties of vegetables in many combinations, depending mainly on your taste and what you currently have. I have used cherry tomatoes, courgette, onion and garlic, but things like aubergine, peppers or red onions work beautifully too.
The process is simple: cut the vegetables into even pieces, mix with a few tablespoons of olive oil, add salt and lay evenly on a baking sheet.
Place in the oven preheated to 180 degrees and bake until the vegetables turn soft and slightly golden – it will take anywhere between 30-45 minutes.
Transfer everything into a bowl of a food processor and mix until smooth.
Now you have two options – you can either leave the sauce as is and use it immediately, or you can go one steal further in the direction of the sauce being even smoother and more luxurious by adding a couple of tablespoons of ricotta cheese.
Once you have worked the ricotta into the mixture, your job is done. The whole process does not take more than 10 minutes of active cooking time, but the result does not even compare to shop-bought versions, in quality nor taste.
I am a mother of three with a passion for cooking and healthy lifestyle. My goal is to show all families that it’s actually really simple to cook healthy, everybody can eat great food, feel great and never stress about food.
