As parents, we sometimes try to have recipes in our rotation that can be made quickly, thawed or warmed up. Once you make a batch of these ABC Os, you’ll never go back and buy the canned stuff! YUCK-O!
I have a love affair with my immersion blender. It lets me puree hot soups and hide veggies in sauces without the hassle of cooling and moving it to a blender.
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See how easy it is? Seriously. Make the sauce, blend and add cooked pasta.
This recipe has been such a hit with my kids that I finally included it in our MOMables menus.
Healthy Spaghetti-ABC-O’s Recipe
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MOM Tip: Use leftovers for lunch. Preheat your thermos so the soup remains warm till lunch. Pack with a grilled cheese or bread roll and fruit.
Author: Laura Fuentes – SuperGlueMom
Ingredients
Sauce Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes or tomato puree
- 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes or tomato puree
Pasta:
- 16 oz bag of ABC pasta, shells or macaroni, cooked
Instructions
Crockpot Directions:
- Add all ingredients in a crockpot for 4-6 hours on low.
- With an immersion blender, puree sauce. You might have to add a bit of water until you have the traditional sauce consistency you like.
Stove top Directions:
- Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the bell peppers, carrots, celery, onions and garlic. Sauté until veggies are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the tomatoes, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat, puree with an immersion hand blender (or in a regular blender) until almost smooth.
- Return sauce to the heat and simmer until thick, 10-20 minutes. The longer you simmer this sauce the thicker and more flavorful it will become. You can simmer up to 2 hours
To serve: Serve pasta on a plate pour sauce over pasta. Mix well.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: Family Sized: Serves 6-8
9 comments
THIS LOOKS YUMMMMMM-E! Great recipe, Laura!
thanks Tiffany!
This recipe does look easy. I still love spaghetti-o’s. I’m definitely a big kid. I agree that tomato sauce is a great plcae to hide veggies. Great idea! Thanks for the tips.
You are welcome Monica!
Fabulous! And it’s dairy free
My son is highly allergic to dairy and it seems all “kid food” has dairy in it. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I really really really want to make this but I don’t use canned products. I am horrible about recipe sub. Can you help me, can I use fresh tomatoes and cook those?
Toni, do you “can” your own tomatoes? meaning, in a glass jar? if so, substitute for that. I am totally guesstimating here that you will need about 2.5- 3 lbs of fresh tomatoes for a whole pot and add some water. I’m sorry I can’t be any more specific.
Do you have any tips for freezing this? I’d love to give it to the kids for lunch once a week or so. I’m wondering how the pasta would hold up. Thanks!!
Ashley, all you have to do is let it cool and freeze in individual portions. To enjoy, warm and serve. If you are sending it to school, warm up the spaghetti-o’s and send in a thermos container.