Carrot Marinara Sauce

I’m not a big fan of sneaking veggies into my kids’ meals, but I love that marinara sauce is a blended-up version of all kinds of healthy produce. I often have leftover cooked carrots in the fridge, and since I hate to waste anything, this sauce was created. Use carrots that have been roasted, steamed, or frozen and thawed. Try with other veggies or make with just tomatoes—this is my basic no-fail tomato sauce recipe for pizza and pasta.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, chopped

¹⁄₂ medium onion, chopped

¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground fennel seed

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 cup cooked carrots

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 cup fresh basil leaves

Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Add garlic and onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add ground fennel and cook for 20 seconds, until fragrant. Add tomatoes, carrots, and sugar; season with ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste. Cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add basil and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Puree sauce using an immersion blender until smooth.*

* If you do not have an immersion blender, puree in a countertop blender in small batches. Make sure to hold the top of the blender closed with a dish towel while the machine is on.

YIELD: 1 quart

Nutrition Information per ¹⁄₄ Cup

Calories: 37, Total Fat: 2 grams, Saturated Fat: 0.5 grams, Carbohydrate: 5 grams, Sugars: 1 gram, Protein: 1 gram, Sodium: 105 milligrams, Cholesterol: 0 milligrams, Fiber: 1 gram, Vitamin D: 0 IU, Calcium: 25 milligrams, Iron: 0.8 milligrams