Grace absolutely adores spaghetti.
So much so – whenever I ask her what she wants for dinner I know nine times out of ten her answer will be ‘sketti mama’.
Harry has jumped on the spaghetti bandwagon too and loves slurping down long strands of pasta for dinner alongside his big sister.
Whilst they both love spaghetti smothered in our kale pesto…a simple red sauce is a lovely change they both adore.
And I love this red sauce because is the perfect vessel to smuggle a whole LOT a veggie goodness into.
In today’s spaghetti sauce I managed to sneak in an entire sweet potato, carrot AND zucchini.
We grated the veggies first, then fried them until soft in a little olive oil (with a little garlic, of course) before adding our passata.
Grace helped me grate all of the veggies and with lots of guidance stirred the simmering sauce whilst it bubbled away on the stove.
Once the sauce had thickened – we divided it into two portions and popped one serve into the freezer for another day.
Grace stirred our cooked spaghetti through her stealth veggie packed sauce with such pride and enthusiasm I don’t think our kitchen has ever been so messy – I’m still finding spots of red tomato sauce everywhere.
But seeing her little face as she planted the big bowl of spaghetti onto our dining room table for dinner made all the mess totally worth it.
She was so proud – oh my heart. Making memories is totally worth the mess if you ask me.
This recipe is super simple, great for fussy eaters and offers LOTS of opportunities for you to get your kids into the kitchen.
Grace and I had so much fun making this spaghetti together – we hope you do too.
To make your own stealth spaghetti simply…
Place a large pot of water of high heat and bring to the boil.
Add spaghetti and cook according to packet instructions.
Drain and set aside.
Begin by washing and drying your hands with your child.
Set them up safely at the kitchen bench OR small table. My kids feel confident stating on stools – but when they were younger I would pop their kids sized table into the middle of the kitchen and get them to work at the table.
Read the recipe together and collect the ingredients needed – naming them as you go.
Set up your food processor and finely grate the sweet potato, carrot and zucchini.
Grace had so much fun pushing the veggies through and seeing them pop out shredded.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a non stick pan over medium-high heat. Add your shredded veggies and garlic and cook (continually stirring) for 10 minutes or until the veggies have softened. Add a splash of water to the pan whenever you feel they veggies are drying out too much.
Add your passata (add a half cup of water to the jar and swirl out the leftover sauce) to the softened veggies and stir to combine. Simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly.
Divide the sauce in half (we popped our leftover half into a freezer safe container for another day). Add the spaghetti and toss to combine.
Place your spaghetti onto a large serving platter. Top with grated parmesan and freshly picked basil leaves. Serve immediately to your hungry little helpers.
stealth spaghetti
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: serves 8
Description
stealth spaghetti
Ingredients
- 500 grams spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small sweet potato (approx. 250 grams), grated
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1 zucchini, grated
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 750 grams passata (uncooked tomato puree)
- parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves – to serve
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add spaghetti and cook according to packet instructions. Drain and set aside. Heat a large non stick frypan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, sweet potato, carrot, zucchini and garlic and cook (continually stirring) for 10 minutes – or until the veggies have softened. Add a splash of water whenever the veggies look too dry. Add passata and stir to combine. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Divide the sauce into two portions (freeze half for a later day). Add the cooked spaghetti to the remaining sauce and toss to combine. Place spaghetti onto a large serving platter, top with grated parmesan and basil leaves. Enjoy X
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
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