Zucchini Spaghetti Sauce

Nothing beats a homemade sauce made from the abundance of your garden's zucchini, ripe tomatoes, and other veggies. This Zucchini Spaghetti Sauce is a perfect combination of fresh zucchini, juicy red tomatoes, and a touch of love that is sure to impress your family. Once it starts simmering, the work is all done, and overall, it's quite simple to make. Best of all, it's loaded with nutrients and will fill your home with the delightful aromas of the end-of-summer harvests.

This delicious sauce could also really be called garden spaghetti sauce! You can add any of the vegetables you need to use up. In addition to tomatoes and zucchini, I used an entire cauliflowers and bell pepper.

Making fresh zucchini spaghetti sauce from the garden:

When making this recipe, I wanted to create something with fresh garden produce, so we used whole tomatoes instead of canned. I did not remove the peels or seeds. I read that leaving the tomato skins on could produce a bitter flavor, but I've made this sauce three times to date, we did not experience this whatsoever. It saves me a bit of time and adds some nutrition to our sauce.

Tomato skin and seeds have three times more lycopene compared to the pulp. Tomato skin and seeds were reported to contain essential amino acids and high amounts of minerals, including zinc, manganese, copper, and iron, that also function as antioxidants within the body. I wanted it to be as nutritious as possible for my family!

If you want to can this recipe after making it, I do recommend you remove the skins and seeds. The easiest way to peel tomatoes is to blanch them in boiling water for 1-2 minutes and then immediately place them into an ice bath. The skins can then be easily removed. Canning instructions listed below!

Tools:

• 9-11 quart pot
• Mixing spoon
• Grater for zucchini
• Garlic press

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 10 cloves garlic minced
• ½ cup white wine or chicken broth. Try our nourishing herbal bone broth
• 10 medium tomatoes, quartered
• 4 zucchinis
• 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon ground oregano
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil

Optional: Additional vegetables of choice. We added one bell pepper and cauliflower. It is SO delicious!

Instructions:

• Quarter your tomatoes, grate your zucchini, mince your garlic, finely chop your onion, and cut up any other vegetables you decide to add to this delicious garden spaghetti sauce.
• Heat a large pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Add in olive oil and saute onion in the olive oil for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add in your garlic cloves and saute another 30-60 seconds.
• Add your vegetables, white wine (or chicken stock), tomato paste, sugar, fennel, oregano, salt, pepper, and basil. Bring to a simmer.
• Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2-4 hours. Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture until the desired consistency is achieved. You can leave it slightly chunky, or blend it to make it completely smooth.

Garden goodness:

If you feel like you want something sweet from the garden after this yummy meal, why not try our: Lavender Lemon Zucchini Bread, Blueberry Zucchini Bread, Basil Ice Cream or Lemon Rosemary Shortbread Bars.

Canning Instructions:

Sterilize 6 pint-sized mason jars. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into each jar. Fill the jars with prepared spaghetti sauce, leaving ½ inch at the top. Place the lids and bands on the jars and secure tightly. Process in a boiling water bath for 35 minutes.