Quick & easy tray bake pasta sauce

Sometimes it is difficult to incorporate enough vegetables into your weeknight dinners. With this easy tray bake pasta sauce recipe, you will spend only about 15 minutes in the kitchen and your oven and blender will do the rest of the work. 

We've carefully selected a medley of colorful bell peppers, ripe tomatoes, nutrient-rich carrots, and aromatic leeks and shallots to form the base of our delightful sauce. Roasted to perfection, these vegetables release their natural sweetness and create a deep and rich sauce.

The nice part about this recipe is that you can use all your leftover vegetables from your fridge, like eggplant, squash, zucchini etc. Also feel free to use other green herbs, depending on what you have at home (dried or fresh). The roasted vegetables and red wine will infuse the pasta with rich flavors, and the grated cheese and fresh basil will add the perfect finishing touch.

Step 1
Preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F).

Step 2
In a large baking tray, combine the chopped bell peppers, diced carrot, leeks, chopped tomatoes, peeled shallots, and unpeeled garlic cloves.

Step 3
Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables, add the sprigs of rosemary and sage leaves, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss everything together to ensure the vegetables are evenly coated with the oil and seasoning.

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Step 4
Place the baking tray in the preheated oven and roast for about 25-30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and lightly caramelized, stirring once or twice during the cooking process.

Step 5
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti or bucatini according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of pasta water, and set aside.

Step 6
Once the vegetables are roasted, remove the baking tray from the oven and discard the hard part of the rosemary sprigs, peel te garlic and add everything to cooking pot. Use a stick blender or a potato masher to create a chunky sauce.

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Step 7
Add the 2 glasses of wine and some additional water to the sauce and let simmer for 10 minutes

Step 8
Add the cooked pasta to the pot with your roasted vegetable sauce and toss everything together, allowing the pasta to absorb the flavors of the sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, you can add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen it up.

Step 9
Serve the tray bake pasta topped with grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of fresh basil leaves for garnish. Enjoy your quick and easy tray-bake pasta sauce! Bon appétit!

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Serving tip: Acompany this pasta dish with a fresh fennel and grapefruit salad and/or onion tart tartins!