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Make hearty homemade vegan spaghetti sauce with canned tomatoes and plenty of vegetables for a rich yet healthy, nutrient-dense sauce for the whole family!
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One-pot, Flavor-Packed Vegetable Spaghetti Sauce
While we admit to loving the convenience of jarred sauces, you just can’t beat the fresh flavor of a simple (and yet inexpensive!) homemade pasta sauce – whether it’s a 15-minute cherry tomato sauce, hearty lentil Bolognese or this veggie-dense vegan spaghetti sauce (aka vegetable tomato sauce).
With a combination of high-quality fresh or canned tomatoes, several aromatic veggies, garlic, and a pantry-friendly combination of herbs and seasonings, this vegetable spaghetti sauce is surprisingly bursting with fresh, rich, complex flavors. It’s also loaded with nutrients, super comforting, good for you, and tastes much better than anything store-bought.
Better yet, it’s fairly hands-off and easy to make, with minimal chopping and sauteing. Then, simply throw everything in the pot and leave it to simmer for at least 45 minutes to develop into a full-bodied, deeply complex veg spaghetti sauce. Plus, you can store it in the fridge for several days or freeze it later, so it’s always to hand!
Looking for more simple pasta sauces? Try our 20-minute tahini pasta, spicy tomato basil pasta, or creamy curry pasta.
Table of Contents
The Ingredients and Substitutions
Make this simple recipe for vegan spaghetti sauce with about a dozen inexpensive kitchen and pantry staples.
- Olive oil: Or another neutral cooking oil, like avocado oil, etc.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves are best, but powdered garlic works in a pinch.
- Vegetables: We made this nutrient-dense veggie spaghetti sauce with…
- Onion (yellow or white)
- Celery
- Carrot
- Tomatoes: Use high-quality canned tomatoes (like San Marzano). We used crushed tomatoes, but you can use whole ones and crush them yourself.
- Seasonings: Create depth with Italian seasoning, paprika (regular or smoked), sea salt (or soy sauce for extra umami depth), and black pepper. Optionally, add red pepper flakes (or cayenne) for spicy spaghetti sauce.
- Water: To bring the sauce to the correct consistency. For more flavor, use low-sodium vegetable broth.
- Sweetener: If the tomatoes are particularly acidic, balance the flavors with sugar, maple, agave, etc., for the best full-bodied veg spaghetti sauce.
- Fresh herbs: While technically optional, a mixture of fresh Italian parsley and/or basil helps to add heaps of flavor depth and elevate the tomato and vegetable pasta sauce.
What Could I Add to Vegetable Spaghetti Sauce?
- More vegetables: Turn this into even more of a hidden veg pasta sauce with leek, zucchini, and/or bell peppers. Blend it smoothly for veggie-wary children (+ adults!).
- Tomato paste: For a slightly deeper, more concentrated tomato flavor.
- Nutritional yeast: For a slightly ‘cheesy’ flavor, like parmesan.
- Balsamic vinegar: (or a splash of lemon juice) Add it just before serving to brighten the flavor of the vegetable tomato sauce.
- Miso paste: Just a small amount for an umami boost.
How to Make Vegan Spaghetti Sauce with Vegetables
- First, peel and roughly chop the onion, carrot, and celery, and mince the garlic. Then add those to a food processor along with one tablespoon of olive oil, the Italian seasoning, and the paprika. Process until finely minced.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the minced vegetables and cook until the juices evaporate, stirring constantly (2-3 minutes).
Simmering the veggies until lightly browned/caramelized helps to add sweetness and maximum depth of flavor to the vegan spaghetti sauce recipe.
- Add the tomatoes and water (or broth). Mix well, bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 45-60 minutes.
The longer it simmers, the more the flavors will meld and enhance for the richest flavor.
- Uncover the sauce and season it with salt and pepper to taste. Also, add the sweetener now, if preferred.
- Leave it to simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring in the chopped fresh herbs, if using. Finally, remove it from the heat and serve it warm over cooked pasta/spaghetti!
Enjoy this as chunky vegetable spaghetti sauce, or blend it until smooth. For extra richness and silky mouthfeel, add in a small amount of olive oil or vegan butter at the end before serving.
FAQs
It depends – there are creamy and meaty versions of spaghetti sauce. However, there are also many vegan-friendly tomato-based sauces, too. This spaghetti sauce with vegetables recipe is 100% vegan.
If you want a high-protein pasta or spaghetti sauce, you might like our tofu tomato pasta sauce or lentil or tofu Bolognese. You could also serve this sauce with protein-dense vegan bean/lentil meatballs or mix in some vegan ground ‘beef’/TVP/tofu crumbles.
Because of the blended vegetables, this sauce is naturally thick. To thicken it further, simmer it for longer uncovered (this allows excess liquid to evaporate).
You could try blending it for a naturally creamy yet dairy-free vegan tomato sauce. Alternatively, boost the creaminess with the addition of some cashew cream or canned coconut milk right at the end of the cooking process.
Absolutely! If it’s tomato season, you could use fresh vine-ripened tomatoes or plum tomatoes. Blanch them first to remove the peels, then place them in a food processor to crush and continue with the recipe as written.
Pro Recipe Tips
- When to add sweetener: This small amount of sugar doesn’t make the sauce sweet. Instead, it balances the flavors – especially useful when the tomatoes are overly acidic.
- For a smoother sauce: Either use an immersion blender or blend some or all of the vegetable tomato pasta sauce to your desired consistency.
- Adjust the simmer time: We recommend a minimum of 45-60 minutes, but simmer it for even longer, adding more water/broth if necessary, for the ingredients to meld and develop the most delicious, complex flavors.
Storage Instructions
Leave the vegetable tomato sauce to cool, then store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
You can also freeze vegan spaghetti sauce in individual portions (in airtight containers or Ziplock/Stasher bags, spread flat) for 3-4 months. Leave it to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
To reheat the sauce, either do so in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave until piping hot. If it’s thickened a lot, add an extra splash of water or broth.
Serving Suggestions
Along with serving it over pasta & spaghetti, you could also blend it until smooth and enjoy it:
- As a dip for breadsticks and other appetizers
- Spread over vegan pizza or flatbread
- In a lasagna, casseroles, and pasta shells
- Spread into zucchini boats
- Over eggplant stacks/ eggplant parmesan
More Vegan Pasta Sauce Recipes
- Red pepper & sun-dried tomato pesto
- Sweet potato pasta sauce
- Vegan pasta primavera
- Carrot pasta sauce
- Creamy pumpkin pasta
- Vegan fettuccine alfredo
Photos by Alfonso Revilla
Vegan Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon of olive oil, divided
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 carrot, roughly chopped
- 2 celery ribs, roughly chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning
- ½ tablespoon of paprika
- 1 (28-ounce) can of crushed tomatoes, in their juices
- 1 cup of water
- 1 teaspoon of sweetener (sugar, agave, etc.) (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
- 1 cup of basil, chopped (optional)
- 1 cup of Italian parsley, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- In the cup of a food processor, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the garlic, carrot, celery, onion, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Process until the veggies are very finely minced.
- In a large pan with a lid, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. When hot, carefully add the veggie mixture. Stir to prevent burning, cook until all the juices evaporate. Saute the mixture for 2 minutes, regularly mixing.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, water, and sweetener if using. Mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The longer it simmers, the more flavorful it gets. Uncover, taste and add the salt and pepper to taste. Do not add salt before because canned tomatoes usually have salt.
- Cook uncovered for another 10 minutes. Add the fresh herbs in this step if using.
- Turn off the heat and serve over pasta, or store in mason jars with lids or freezer molds.
Notes
- When to add sweetener: This small amount of sugar doesn’t make the sauce sweet. Instead, it balances the flavors – especially useful when the tomatoes are overly acidic.
- For a smoother sauce: Either use an immersion blender or blend some or all of the vegetable tomato pasta sauce to your desired consistency.
- Adjust the simmer time: We recommend a minimum of 45-60 minutes, but simmer it for even longer, adding more water/broth if necessary, for the ingredients to meld and develop the most delicious, complex flavors.
Love how easy this sauce is to make!