Healthy "Rainbow" Spaghetti Sauce

Healthy “Rainbow” Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti sauce has become a catch-all dish for me. Whatever vegetables I happen to have in the fridge or freezer can usually be thrown in, and the spaghetti sauce still tastes awesome. Even better, I usually have the vegetables chopped already if they are leftover from earlier in the week, but even if I have to do all the chopping, it’s still not too labor intense of a meal. The mix of veggies is why I call it “rainbow” spaghetti sauce, even though it still turns red. Enjoy, and feel safe that you definitely have gotten a full day’s worth of vitamins with this sauce!

Ingredients:
½ medium eggplant, diced
1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium bell peppers (any color), diced
½ medium eggplant, diced
2 medium yellow squash, diced
2 medium zucchini, diced
½ cup sliced carrots
1 cup mixed mushrooms, cut into small pieces
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 28 oz can tomato sauce
½ cup CHEAP red wine (I use stuff that comes in a box)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp sage
Cayenne pepper to taste
3/4 cup fresh spinach

Apparatus:

Plate
Paper towels
Large pot
Wooden Spoon

Process:
1)Place eggplant on several layers of paper towels on plate and microwave for 10 minutes to remove moisture/ “slime”.
2)Meanwhile, saute onion and garlic in olive oil in pot over medium-high heat until onions become translucent.
3)Reduce temperature to medium-low.
4)Add all ingredients (including eggplant) except spinach to pot. Mix, and if the sauce appears too thick, add water in ¼ cup increments until desired consistency is reached. (*Remember it is easier to add more water than to try to make the sauce thicker later.)
5)Cover the pot, and let simmer for 30 minutes. Check occasionally (every 10 minutes) and stir.
6)Add spinach, stir until wilted.
7)Serve over whole wheat pasta, and enjoy!


*Notes* I've also had good luck with this recipe by just placing everything but the spinach in a crockpot and letting it cook on low for 8 hours. (If you'll be gone for 10 hours, put the crockpot in the freezer the night before, and it takes about 2 hours to warm up) The recipe will still taste better if you saute the onion and garlic before putting them into the pot.