I’ve been asked so many times about this recipe, and really it’s not a recipe, so I’ve resisted posting it. But now I’ve been asked too many times for it so I thought I’d pop it up. So here is my pizza sauce that doubles as a pasta sauce and also as a dipping sauce. It’s all the sauces, essentially.
So why did I even come up with this non-recipe? Because I am the proud owner of a 2 year old who is resistant to all vegetables bar carrots. And it seems there must be a fair few folks who have the same issue given how many Instagram messages I have had about how to make this. Please forgive the non exact quantities. This is not a scientific recipe. And feel free to add whatever you like. I just know this pizza sauce goes down very well with my boys. (Two of whom are good eaters I hasten to add). If you need a good pizza recipe then there is one in my book and also one on the blog here.
Lots of great recipes like this in my books, Recipes from a Normal Mum, (available on Amazon, at The Works, Waterstones, WHSmith, The Book Depository and many smaller outlets) and The Power of Frozen (available through Amazon).
Last year: Finger licking spiced ribs and Baked Bramley apple cheesecakes and Easter biscuit baking kit and My never fail Victoria sponge and Double Decker brownies and Easy pea and ham soup and Coconut and lemon tart.
Two years ago: Weaning flapjack and White chocolate mousse eggs and Easter chocolate nests with biscuit chicks and Lamb, pea and mint pie with rough puff pastry and Homemade Snickers and Spinach, ricotta and sweet potato lasagne and Mother’s Day afternoon tea and Chocolate chip cookies and Lemon and raspberry trifle
Three years ago: Florentine quiche and Flourless chocolate cake and Cadbury Creme Mini Egg chocolate flapjack and School fair rocky road
Four year ago: White chocolate & cranberry hot cross buns and Cadbury creme egg mess and Banoffee pecan mini pavs
Five years ago: Easter Apostles scone loaf and Carrot cake in a cup for Mother’s Day and Cranberry oaty biscuits
Six years ago: Mini chocolate birds nests and Puff pastry and Walnut bread
- 32 tomatoes, halved
- 4 red onions, peeled and roughly chopped
- 5 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
- 4 carrots, topped and tailed and roughly chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 20 chestnut mushrooms, halved
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt (leave out for under 1's)
- 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 140C/fan 120C/gas mark 2. Place all the ingredients into a large roasting tray and toss well. Roast in the oven for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. If your tomatoes begin to stick add a glass of water. Once the vegetables are well roasted and cooked down, remove from the oven and leave to cool. Then pop into the nutribullet in batches and whizz up to a puree. At this stage I add a little (add one tablespoon and go from there, sorry but no exact quantities) cooled boiled water to each batch to thin it out a tiny bit, though you don't need to do this if you prefer to thin out after freezing. Spoon the sauce into ice cube trays, freeze and then once hard transfer to freezer bags. Use to stir through pasta, to top pizza (sparingly as too much can make for a soggy base) or as a dipping sauce. You can add any herbs and spices you wish, but I tend to do this after defrosting (in the microwave) as some of the boys like a few spices and well, my 2 year old, he does not!
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