We have pasta night at least once a week in my house! I just love the comfort of it. I firmly believe enjoying pasta can be part of a healthy diet and lifestyle. Gone are the days for me when pasta was an indulgent and "forbidden" food and I am proud of that.
This new pasta sauce recipe is one of my faves yet! I am new-ish to making pasta sauce and I was inspired by the recipe my mom used to make for us as a kid. She used a secret ingredient that adds the most delish flavor. That is balsamic vinegar! I promise it's amazing. For this recipe, I used Inspired Organics whole canned tomatoes, olive oil, vegetable stock, balsamic vinegar, and whole wheat penne! Inspired Organics products are a staple in my home! They have an incredible selection of high quality, organic and delicious products. You can find them near you here.
ALSO - this tomato sauce also doubles as a delicious SOUP! I actually was pleasantly surprised by that! I used an immersion blender to mix this, but a regular blender or food processor also works great!
What you need for this recipe:
- Dry Pasta - I used Inspired Organics Whole Wheat Penne.
- Olive Oil - The best taste! I used Inspired Organics.
- Yellow Onions - Sweet Onions work too.
- Minced Garlic - Just for a little flavor 🙂
- Canned Whole Tomatoes - I used Inspired Organics. Diced work too.
- Vegetable Stock - You can use meat stock as well. Inspired Organics has lots of options.
- Balsamic Vinegar - The not so secret - secret - ingredient.
- Cream - this is optional. Milk works too. It makes the sauce so creamy and delish!
- Goat Cheese - My fave in pasta dishes!
- Spices -Italian Seasoning, Sea Salt, Fresh Pepper
- Toppings -fresh basil, more goat cheese, and chili flakes (if you like spice)
This recipe makes 4 -5 servings.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Dice onion and set aside.
Heat up olive oil in a large pot. Add in onion, minced garlic and sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste. Mix and let cook for 5 minutes on medium-high. Mix frequently.
While onion and garlic are cooking, boil water for pasta in a separate pot.
In the saucepot, add both cans of whole tomatoes, vegetable stock (or any stock), cream, goat cheese, Italian seasoning, and balsamic vinegar. Mix everything well and set heat to medium.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to instructions.
When the sauce comes to a light simmer, reduce heat to low. Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce directly in the pot until it is as smooth as desired. I made mine mostly smooth with a few small chunks.
Note: You can also transfer to a regular blender or large food processor for this. If you do not have an immersion blender.
Mix sauce with noodles and top with chili flakes, more goat cheese, and chopped basil.
Store extra sauce in a large jar and keep in the fridge for 7 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Enjoy!!
Thank you to Inspired Organics for partnering with me on the development of this recipe! I love working with brands that help me and my community champion a healthy (and delicious) lifestyle.
