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In our house we often seem to be pushed for time BUT we try to eat healthy so this recipe for a spicy pasta sauce is a bit of a life saver for us. I cook this up most weeks and then freeze portions of it which can then be quickly reheated and served on its own with pasta or added to prawns, minced beef or served with melted cheese etc. Its delicious, its fast and its full of healthy veggies so it ticks a lot of the right boxes! This sauce is probably closest to an Arrabiata but in our house it is known by the less glamorous name of “veggie bog” – I have arrived at  this recipe after a lot of improvising but it unlikely that I ever cook it exactly the same way twice so feel free to make your own modifications! This version works great though.

You will need

Olive oil

1 good sized onion

1 red chili pepper or half if you want it less spicy

1 red pepper (capsicum)

4 cloves garlic

Mushrooms (you decide how many)

1 kilo fresh tomatoes

1 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

Basil – fresh if you’ve got it but dried works fine too (1 teaspoon)

Pinch of oregano

Balsamic vinegar (optional)

Salt & pepper

First finely chop your onion and chili and crush the garlic. Fry this in hot olive oil for about three minutes until things soften up  and then add 1 tea spoon or basil (or fresh leaves) a good pinch of oregano and salt & pepper to taste. Keep stirring for another minute or so and then add the chopped red pepper (capsicum) and mushrooms. Cook this for another couple of minutes – whilst that is happening chop up your tomatoes into cubes and throw them in as well. If you have got the time or inclination you can blanch these in very hot and then cold water to remove the skins prior to chopping but I don’t bother. Fry these for another couple of minutes, whilst stirring. When this is all going good add the tin of chopped tomatoes and a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar if you are using it. Simmer this for about half an hour, stirring occasionally. Serve with a pasta of your choice – it goes well with penne but anything works.

This freezes well and survives microwaving so it’s a perfect to dish up quickly if you are in a hurry. And its delicious and mega-healthy too!

Get it into you!

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