Here is an easy spaghetti sauce that you can throw together in about 5 minutes. Heat until warm and enjoy with your family on a Fall evening. Full of veggies and plant protein that the whole family will love.

Different Types Of Spaghetti Sauce

When I have some time on my hands I like to make spaghetti sauce homemade without the use of a bottled sauce. With two kids, work, sports, and the hustle of everyday life it’s often easier to throw some easy spaghetti sauce on the stove and call it a day.

I like to use Publix Greenwise Organic brand sauce, Ragu Old Word Traditional, and I’ve had a lot of parents of picky eaters tell me Pregu is what their kids like.

Really you can use any sauce you like. I just make sure the ingredients are minimal and you want to avoid sauces that have added preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, and even milk.

Choice Of Noodles

Oh the options are endless when it comes to noodles you can use for spaghetti. Of course there are plain regular spaghetti noodles and these might be a good option for introducing to younger toddlers and kids.

Offering regular noodles, elbow, or shell noodles to your kids may be the best option at first then transitioning to different varieties of healthier noodles.

From there you can transition to 100% whole wheat, then different shapes of pasta noodles, chickpea spaghetti noodles, black bean or lentil noodles, veggie noodles such as the ones made from whole grains and then ones like zucchini noodles.

My family is gluten free so my kids love the chickpea pasta. It’s a little firmer than traditional noodles so I think that’s why my oldest prefers it.

For kids that don’t like that wet or slimy feeling from food then going with a pasta like a chickpea or GF elbow/shell pasta may be better for them. It is firmer and will help to give them more sensory input. Basically, I mean it will feel better in their mouth than a slimy, squishy noodle.

Low Carb Noodles For Spaghetti

Many adults tell me they don’t want to eat the regular spaghetti noodles. They want lower carb options and options that are going to fuel their family rather than bring the bloat and tiredness of traditional spaghetti noodles.

I also really like taking a mix of veggies and sautéing or roasting in the oven on 400 for about 20 minutes. If you roast veggies you can have leftovers and use throughout the week for side dishes, on top of salads, etc. g

But I like to make the veggies then pour the sauce over them without even using noodles. That is always good. My husband and I tried it one night and honestly we didn’t think it would give us the same feel as traditional spaghetti but it was fabulous.

Also, it’s helpful, quick, and easy to buy the precut spiralized zucchini noodles and use those. Honestly, those are not my favorite but if you like that then go for it! Plus it’s a great way to get in extra plant food for the day! Bonus!

Ingredients Needed For Easy Spaghetti Sauce

1 jar of clean organic sauce

1 cup cooked brown lentils

1 container chopped shrooms

1/2 onion chopped

1 zucchini finely chopped

3 garlic cloves chopped

1 tsp olive oil, or water, or veggie broth

Directions For Easy Spaghetti Sauce

Cook lentils as directed

Sauté veggies on stove in about 1 tsp of olive oil

Pour in cooked lentils then pour in spaghetti sauce

Notes And Additional Short Cuts

Can use water, veggie broth, vegan butter such as Earth Balance, olive oil, sunflower oil, or coconut oil to sauté veggies.

I love to buy the steamed lentils from Trader Joes. They are found in the produce section by the lettuce. In some Trader Joe’s stores they are found over by the packaged salads and meals.

I also like to buy organic canned lentils. Either steamed or organic canned lentils will work just as good as fresh. Fresh is always better but if you are short on time then take the short cut.

If you buy fresh you can either soak them overnight or boil hard for about 25 minutes.

Pick whatever veggies you have on hand. I always have onions, celery, garlic, mushroom, and peppers in our fridge. I usually have zucchini too, it depends on the season it is because I try to buy what’s in season to save on cost.

If you are just trying this out then you can always just use the lentils too. You don’t have to be fancy and use the other veggies in the sauce. I just like to because it gives it extra crunch and flavor.

Sometimes it’s best to be simple too when first trying out a new recipe so do whatever you think your family would be most interested in then build up variety from there.

If this sounds good and easy for you then you may also like the awesome vegan manicotti HERE. To make this recipe gluten free you can buy gluten free lasagna noodles and leave out the fieldroast sausage.