Summer Vegetables in Red Sauce

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One of my favorite things about summer is all of the colorful vegetables. I pack my plate with as many vegetables as I can this time of year because I know that six months from now they won’t be nearly as delicious or inexpensive. Simmering a medley of vegetables in a simple jar of pasta sauce makes a really quick, filling, and inexpensive meal that you can spoon over a bowl of polenta, a plate of pasta, or even a hearty piece of toast. Simple and delicious!

What Vegetables to Use

1. Carrots
2. Yellow squash
3. Green bell pepper
4. Spinach or kale
5. Mushrooms
6. Asparagus

Red Sauce Options

What to Serve with Vegetables in Red Sauce

I whipped up a quick Parmesan polenta to serve as the base for these vegetables and sauce, but they would be equally good over pasta, mashed potatoes, or even a sturdy piece of toast.

Recipe by Cook Good Recipes

Colorful summer vegetables simmered in a red sauce and spooned over warm polenta make a hearty and inexpensive summer meal.

Servings: 6 1 cup vegetables each

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Ingredients

Vegetables in Red Sauce

1. 1 yellow onion
2. 4 cloves garlic
3. 2 Tbsp olive oil
4. 1 eggplant
5. 1 tsp Italian seasoning
6. 1/4 tsp salt
7. 1/4 tsp pepper
8. 1 red bell pepper
9. 1 zucchini
10. 1 24oz. jar pasta sauce
11. 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional garnish)

Parmesan Cornmeal (optional)

1. 5 cups water
2. 1 tsp salt
3. 1 cup yellow cornmeal
4. 2 Tbsp butter
5. 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions 

1. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the onion, garlic, and olive oil to a large pot. Sauté over medium heat until the onions have softened.
2. While the onion and garlic are cooking, dice the eggplant into ½-inch pieces. Add the eggplant to the pot with the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, and continue to sauté over medium heat.
3. Dice the red bell pepper. Once the eggplant has softened, add the diced bell pepper to the pot and continue to sauté.
4. Slice the zucchini into ¼-inch thick quarter-rounds, then add them to the pot. Continue to sauté just a couple minutes more, or until the zucchini just begin to soften.
5. Add the red sauce and 1/4 cup water to the pot and stir to combine. Let the vegetables simmer in the sauce for 5-10 minutes, or until they reach your desired level of tenderness.
6. While the vegetables are simmering, bring a separate pot of water to a boil.
7. Once boiling, stir in the salt, then pour in the cornmeal while whisking. Continue to cook and whisk until the cornmeal thickens (this should happen quickly).
8. Once the cornmeal has thickened, stir in the butter until melted, then add the grated Parmesan. Stir to combine, then taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
9. To serve, spoon ⅔ cup cornmeal into a bowl then top with one cup of the vegetables and red sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.

Notes

Other serving options include serving the vegetables and sauce over pasta, a hearty piece of toast, or even a baked potato!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving Calories: 263kcal Carbohydrates: 35g Protein: 7g Fat: 12g Sodium: 1143mg Fiber: 8g

How to Make Summer Vegetables in Red Sauce – Step by Step Photos

Dice one yellow onion and mince four cloves of garlic. Add the onion and garlic to a large pot along with 2 Tbsp olive oil. Sauté over medium heat until the onions have softened.

While the onion and garlic are cooking, dice an eggplant into ½-inch pieces. Add them to the pot with 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, and continue to sauté until the eggplant have softened.

Dice one red bell pepper, add it to the pot, and continue to sauté.

Slice one zucchini into 1/4-inch thick quarter-rounds. Add the zucchini to the pot and sauté just until the zucchini begins to soften.

Add one 24oz. jar (3 cups) red sauce and 1/4 cup water to the pot and stir to combine.

Let the vegetables simmer in the red sauce for about 10 more minutes. Taste and season with salt to taste.

If you’d like to serve the vegetables over polenta, bring 5 cups of water up to a boil. Once boiling, stir in one teaspoon salt, then add one cup of cornmeal while whisking. Continue to cook and whisk until it thickens (this only takes a minute or two).

Stir two tablespoons of butter into the thickened cornmeal.

Finally, Stir in ¼ cup grated Parmesan. Taste the cornmeal and adjust the seasonings to your liking.

Add about ⅔ cup of the cornmeal to a bowl and top with 1 cup of the vegetables in red sauce. Top with a little more Parmesan and some chopped fresh parsley. Enjoy!

Recipe by Cook Good Recipes