The colorful vegetables are one of my favorite things about summer. This time of year, I pack as many vegetables on my plate as possible because they won’t taste as good or be as inexpensive in six months. A simple jar of pasta sauce simmered with various vegetables makes an affordable, quick, and filling meal. You can serve it over a bowl or plate of polenta pasta or hearty toast. Easy and delicious!
What vegetables to use
I TRY TO USE A VARIETY when I cook a recipe that includes multiple vegetables. Today I used red bell pepper, yellow onion, and eggplant (dark/purple). Here are some other vegetables you could use in this recipe.
Carrots
Yellow squash
Green bell pepper
Spinach or kale
Mushrooms
Asparagus
Red SAUCE Options
If you prefer to make your sauce instead of buying pre-made sauce, try my quick a href=”https://www.budgetbytes.com/the-best-weeknight pasta sauce/”>weeknight pasta sauce/a>, or if you want something more substantial, try my slow cooker pasta sauce’. You can make your sauce instead of purchasing pre-made. Try my weeknight sauce or a more complex slow cooker sauce.
Ingredients
Vegetables with Red Sauce
One yellow onion is only $0.32
Four cloves of garlic ($0.32)
2 tbsp Olive Oil ($0.32)
One eggplant ($1.49)
1 tsp Italian Seasoning ($0.10)
1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
1/4 tsp pepper ($0.03)
Red bell peppers are $1.50 each.
One zucchini ($1.47)
1 24oz. Jar pasta sauce ($1.50)
Use 2 Tbsp of chopped fresh parsley as a garnish ($0.10)
Parmesan Cornmeal (optional)
5 Cups Water ($0.00)
1 tsp. Salt ($0.05).
1 cup yellow cornmeal (0.40 $)
2 Tbsp Butter ($0.22)
Parmesan, 1/4 cup grated (0.36)
Instructions
Slice the onion, and mince the clove of garlic. Add the garlic, onion, and olive to a large pan. Over medium heat, sauté the onions until they are soft.
While the onions and garlic are cooking, dice the eggplant into pieces of 1/2 inch. Add the eggplant, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to the pot and continue to sauté over medium heat.
Red bell pepper diced. Add the bell pepper dice to the pot once the eggplant is softened. Continue to sauté.
Add the quarter-rounds to the pot after slicing them into 1/4-inch thick slices. Continue sautéing for a few minutes longer or until zucchini begins to soften.
Mix the 1/4 cup of Water and the red sauce in the pot. Let the vegetables simmer for 5-10 mins in the sauce or until you reach the desired tenderness.
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil while the vegetables simmer.
Pour the cornmeal in a while, whisking. Continue to cook the cornmeal and whisk it until it thickens.
When the cornmeal is thickened, add the grated Parmesan and stir until the butter melts. Stir well to combine. Then taste the cornmeal and adjust the seasoning as desired.
Pour 2/3 cup cornmeal into a bowl, then add 1 cup of vegetables and red sauce. If desired, garnish with chopped parsley.
