Vegetable Noodle Passata

Passata? Eh? If you aren't familiar with the term, don't worry. I had never heard it before coming across this recipe I adapted from Wegmans, but I was curious to learn more. Turns out, it's a tomato puree used most frequently in Italian cooking. It's pure tomatoes, cooked and strained, and ends up thinner than a paste but thicker than a sauce. Can't find it in your local supermarket, though? Not a problem! Simply substituting tomato sauce (the canned, no sodium version) with a bit of tomato paste (ditto) mixed in will yield a similar-enough result.

This recipe makes the passata into a (what else?) fresh tomato sauce over veggie noodles and potatoes. It's hearty enough to be a stand-alone dinner but healthy enough that you don't have to worry about going back for seconds. I made it with zucchini and yellow squash "noodles" but get creative here - really any vegetable noodle would work well! Let us know in the comments if you find a particular tasty combination.

Time: 40 min


Vegetable Noodle Passata

Ingredients:
24 oz small yellow potatoes, halved
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 lb mix of zucchini and yellow summer squash
24 oz organic Passata
5 oz baby arugula
1/4 c fresh basil leaves, sliced
4 tbsp grated Parmesan

Get your oven pre-heating to 350 degrees.

Put your potatoes in a bowl. Add the olive oil and black pepper, tossing to coat evenly. Put the potatoes in a single layer in a large oven-proof pan and bake for 20 minutes.

As the potatoes are baking, use a spiralizer to make noodles out of your zucchini and summer squash. (Many grocery stores sell them already spiralized, but it's more expensive so I make my own.) Don't have a spiralizer? Pick one up for $10 on Amazon or use a veggie peeler in a cinch for wider noodles.

When the potatoes have finished cooking carefully transfer the pan to the stove. Put the burner on medium-high and add the passata, stirring to mix evenly. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring once or twice during that time. Add the veggie noodles, baby arugula, and basil. Toss well.  Cook for another 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Enjoy!