Use my Hearty Tomato Sauce as another opportunity to sneak in a little extra nutrition for yourself or picky eaters. The additions aren't completely out of left field (carrots, celery, red peppers, chickpeas), but they do add a level of depth, complexity, and flavor to plain tomato sauce. I recommend blending or pureeing the sauce after cooking because you can be less precise about your chopping. If you like a chunkier texture and aren't hiding veggies and beans in your sauce, by all means, skip that step.
And if you can, make extra for freezing…or for giving to friends and family along with a package of pasta and a loaf of crusty bread to make someone else's night a little easier.
Over medium heat, warm oil in a large pot. Add onions, carrots, celery, bell pepper, garlic, herbs, pepper flakes, and salt. Cook covered, for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have started to soften.
Remove cover and add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and chickpeas. Stir, then cook uncovered for another 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, if you like. When the carrots are tender, remove the pot from the heat. To blend, use an immersion blender (hand held stick blender) or let cool slightly, then carefully ladle into a blender and puree for a few seconds till desired consistency is achieved. Add maple syrup to balance the acidity of the tomatoes and adjust salt, if necessary.
Over medium heat, warm oil in a large pot. Add onions, carrots, celery, bell pepper, garlic, herbs, pepper flakes, and salt. Cook covered, for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have started to soften.
Remove cover and add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and chickpeas. Stir, then cook uncovered for another 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, if you like. When the carrots are tender, remove the pot from the heat. To blend, use an immersion blender (hand held stick blender) or let cool slightly, then carefully ladle into a blender and puree for a few seconds till desired consistency is achieved. Add maple syrup to balance the acidity of the tomatoes and adjust salt, if necessary.
