Nothing beats homemade tomato sauce because I know what ingredients are being used. And since I almost always use seasonal, local ingredients, I know the flavour of the sauce will be bold and fresh.
These cheese-stuffed tortellini with zucchini tomato sauce is a wholesome, delicious meal for the kids, packed with manganese, vitamin C, and dietary fiber. Kids won’t eat their veggies? Zucchini is the ideal veggie to be sneaky with since it has such a mild, delicate flavour and in this traditional tomato sauce it goes completely undetected.
I’ve never been much of a fan of sneaking veggies into my kids’ meals. I’d rather they become accustomed to seeing veggies on their plates and (hopefully) eat them without any pressure…and enjoy them too!
Having said that, it suffices to say that it’s more than frustrating when the mere sight of veggies on their plates results in complete and utter veggie denial. So, sometimes you just have to sneak them in…right?
This particular recipe wasn’t intentionally made to be sneaky one. Sometimes inspiration hits when you least expect it to. I was preparing some sauteed zucchini for a frittata and some tomato sauce at the same time and decided on a whim to puree some of the zucchini and add it to the sauce. It’s a simple as that.
If your kids don’t get squirmy when they actually see vegetables on their plates you can serve this sauce as is, thick and chunky, otherwise, you’re best bet would be to puree the the zucchini so they go completely undetected.
In addition, peeling the zucchini will ensure no green bits end up on the kids’ plates. I make a large batch of this sauce and store family-size portions in the freezer for a quick and ready-made pasta sauce for those busy weeknights.
If you try this recipe (and love it!) be sure to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram with #bitesforfoodies so I can see your creation!
45 thoughts on “Tortellini with Zucchini Tomato Sauce”