Vegan Pasta Sauce
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A unique recipe for vegan pasta sauce with caperberries and olives. This rich vegetable sauce is completely customizable. Add or omit some of the ingredients, double/triple the quantities.
It is a good base pasta sauce to have on hand and you can experiment with consistency or flavor profile.
Caperberries are an interesting addition to this vegan pasta sauce, but they can be omitted. Keep in mind that they are slightly different from capers, but what is more important they are not so salty. For that reason, I would not recommend substituting them with capers.
While this is a vegan pasta sauce, it can be enjoyed by anyone really. It’s naturally gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free.
Equipment needed to make vegetarian pasta sauce
A large skillet/frying pan or a medium pot/Dutch oven. I used a 4.5-quart Dutch oven, but you can use a smaller pot.
A wooden spoon for mixing
Blender or liquidizer to puree the veggies. Now, in my original recipe for veggie pasta sauce I skipped this step, so you don’t have to do this, if you don’t want to. However, I know many people prefer it this way.
How to make vegan pasta sauce
First, sauté onions and leek. Then add bell pepper (any color will work and so will Italian pepper) and carrots that you have peeled with a vegetable peeler.
Let everything sauté for about 5 minutes, then add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Puree, cook a bit longer, taste and when you are happy with its taste, turn off the heat.
Serving suggestions:
Vegans – mixed with pasta, zoodles and topped with nutritional yeast
Vegetarians (and others) – with pasta or zoodles and hard cheese like pecorino or parmesan, if you like.
Optional toppings/garnish:
- Fresh basil leaves
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Roughly chopped pecans or walnuts to add some healthy fats to your diet
- Parsley – again, fresh is the best!
Storage:
This vegetarian sauce for pasta stores well in the fridge. If stored properly (in a airtight container) it can last up to 4-5 days.
Always re-heat only as much as you need!
Pro tips when making vegan pasta sauce:
- When doubling this recipe, make sure to use a pot, not a skillet.
- The longer you saute your veggies, the tastier they get
- Make sure to cook the sauce on low heat.
- You can add vegetable broth instead of water, if you like. If you do, I recommend using the low sodium kind to avoid over-seasoning your pasta sauce.
This vegan pasta sauce was developed by me a few years ago. It has been updated recently with new photos, lots of tips and an improved recipe.
I hope you do give this easy vegetable pasta sauce a go and when you do, please let me know in the comments section.
More easy vegan recipes you might like:
- Vegan Stuffing
- Roasted Carrot Soup
- Roasted Red Pepper Sauce – another delicious vegan pasta sauce recipe.
- Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp
Vegan Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil , see note 1
- 1 medium onion , minced (about 1 cup)
- 1 leek , about 1 cup chopped
- 1 small green bell pepper , 1 cup diced
- 2 large carrots
- ½ cup pitted black olives (50 grams)
- ½ cup caperberries , stems removed, see note 2 (60 grams)
- 1 can pureed tomatoes (14-ounce/400-milliliters), see note 3
- 1 can water (from pureed tomatoes)
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper , see note 4
Instructions
- In a medium pot (or large skillet/frying pan), heat the oil. Add minced onion, chopped leek and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add diced pepper and carrot strips and sauté for a further 5 minutes. Stir from time to time.
- Add olives, sliced caperberries, pureed tomatoes, water, salt and black pepper. Mix well. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for a further 10 minutes.
- When ready, puree in blender.
- Transfer it back to the same pot and cook for 5 minutes on low. Taste and add more seasoning if needed.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- For best results use a good quality olive oil. It’s good for you and also adds to the overall flavor of the sauce.
- Caperberries are not the same thing as capers. If you can’t buy them, omit them. I would not recommend using capers as they are way saltier.
- You can use either pureed tomatoes or tomato passata. Crushed tomatoes can be used too, but they might give you a lighter flavor and a thinner sauce.
- If you have a whole peppercorn mix, use it! Freshly cracked is best.
Just made this sauce and it is so full of flavor! Great recipe and so easy to make!
That’s great to hear, Heather! Thanks so much for your feedback.