This roasted vegetable pasta sauce is easy to make, packed with hidden veggies, and is creamy and delicious! Roast your favorite veggies on a sheet pan for 30 minutes, then blend them into a creamy veggie-packed pasta sauce that the whole family will love!

A plate full of creamy roasted vegetable pasta sauce mixed with pasta with fresh basil on top.

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Why make roasted vegetable pasta

If you want a delcious pasta sauce that is full of fiber and nutrients, this roasted veggie pasta sauce is what you’ve been looking for! It’s naturally vegan, gluten-free, and plant-based, so that everyone can enjoy it.

You can use whatever fresh veggies you have on hand, and it’s a great way to use up older vegetables that may not look as pretty. This hidden veggies pasta sauce will get the pickiest of eaters enjoying vegetables!

Ingredients and substitutions

  • Tomatoes – Any type will work. Fresh ripe garden tomatoes will have the best flavor.
  • Bell Peppers – Red, orange, or green bell peppers roast well and add a lot of flavor to this sauce.
  • Zucchini – I like to use a cup or two of zucchini or yellow squash in this sauce because they are high in moisture, fiber, and nutrients.
  • Onion – for flavor. You can omit it or use shallots instead.
  • Garlic – Roasted garlic adds a lot of flavor to this sauce, but feel free to reduce the amount or omit it.
  • Olive Oil – You can swap this out with any oil that you want or omit it for an oil-free sauce.
  • Salt – for flavor. Add more or less to taste and dietary needs.
  • Fresh Basil – for flavor. You can also swap this out for oregano or other fresh herbs. If you don’t have fresh herbs, you can use a teaspoon of dried Italian-style herb mix.
  • Note – you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand. Carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, and summer squash are also good choices.
Tomatoes, red bell peppers, zucchini, red onion, and a head of garlic on a cutting board.

Helpful tools

  • A blender or an immersion blender to blend the roasted veggies into a creamy sauce.
  • A sheetpan to roast the veggies on. You can also use a shallow baking dish if you don’t have a sheetpan.

How to make roasted vegetable pasta sauce

A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.

Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).

Step 2 – Wash and chop up the vegetables into relatively evenly sized chunks. Cut the top off a small head of garlic and place it on the tray with the roasted veggies.

Vegetables cut into chunks an placed on a sheet pan with olive oil and salt.
Place the vegetables on the sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Vegetables on a sheet pan after they have roasted to make roasted vegetable pasta sauce.
Roast the vegetables until tender and start to release their juices.

Step 3 – Place them on a sheet pan, drizzle the vegetables with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Mix well until they are lightly coated with the oil.

Step 4 – Place in the 400°F (204°C) oven for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are soft and start to release their juices.

Step 5 – While the vegetables are roasting, boil your pasta in salted water according to the box directions. (Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water in case you need to thin out the pasta sauce later.)

Roasted vegetables added to a blender with olive oil and fresh basil.
Transfer the roasted vegetables to a blender and add olive oil, basil and salt.
Roasted vegetable pasta sauce blended until creamy then poured over the cooked pasta.
Blend until creamy, then pour the veggie sauce over cooked pasta.

Step 5 – Transfer the roasted vegetables to a blender. Squeeze the head of roasted garlic to release the roasted cloves into the blender. Add a tablespoon of olive oil, a handful of fresh basil, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, then blend until creamy. Add a little bit of the reserved pasta water if needed to thin out the sauce.

You can also use this pasta sauce in vegan lasagna, stuffed shells, vegan rigatoni, or American-style goulash in place of jarred pasta sauce.

Pro Tips

  • Try to make the chunks of vegetables a similar size so that they roast evenly. You can cut them smaller if you want them to cook faster.
  • If you are not using zucchini or many tomatoes, your sauce may be a little drier. If this is the case, add about 1/4-1/2 cup of reserved pasta water to achieve the desired consistency.
  • If your roasted pasta sauce is bitter, add a teaspoon or two of sugar to enhance the flavor. Fresh, ripe tomatoes will naturally add a sweet taste to the dish.
  • You can make this roasted veggie sauce without oil, but the oil helps to make the sauce creamier when blended.
A top view of a creamy roasted vegetable pasta with a leaf of basil on top and cherry tomatoes next to it.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate: This roasted vegetable pasta will keep well in the fridge for 3 – 5 days in an airtight container.

Freeze: The roasted vegetable pasta sauce freezes well and can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. When I get a ton of vegetables from my parents’ garden, I like to make up multiple batches of this pasta sauce and freeze it for later.

Reheating: Reheat the hidden veggie pasta sauce in the microwave for about 3 minutes or reheat it in a saucepan on the stovetop before pouring it over cooked pasta.

Someone sticking a fork into a plate full of creamy roasted vegetable pasta.

More homemade vegan basics

Roasted vegetable pasta recipe

A white plate filled with roasted vegetable pasta sauce mixed with pasta with a fork on the side and cherry tomatoes behind it.
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5 from 2 rating

Roasted Vegetable Pasta Sauce

Yield: 8
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Author: Monica Davis
This easy vegan pasta sauce is packed with roasted vegetables and blended until creamy. This hidden veggies pasta sauce will get vegetables into the pickiest of eaters!
Print Leave a Review Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 cups tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 cups zucchini, chopped
  • 1 cup red pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
  • 1 small head garlic
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil
  • 1 (16oz) packaged pasta, (reserve 1/2 cup cooking water)

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
  • Wash and chop up the vegetables into relatively evenly sized chunks. Cut the top off a small head of garlic and place it on the tray with the roasted veggies.
  • Place them on a sheet pan, drizzle the vegetables with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Mix well until they are lightly coated with the oil.
  • Place in the 400°F (204°C) oven for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are soft and start to release their juices.
  • While the vegetables are roasting, boil your pasta in salted water according to the box directions. (Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water in case you need to thin out the pasta sauce later.)
  • Transfer the roasted vegetables to a blender. Squeeze the head of roasted garlic to release the roasted cloves into the blender. Add an additional tablespoon of olive oil, a handful of fresh basil, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, then blend until creamy. Add a little bit of the reserved pasta water if needed to thin out the sauce.

Notes

  • Try to make the chunks of vegetables a similar size so that they roast evenly. You can cut them smaller if you want them to cook faster.
  • If you are not using zucchini or many tomatoes, your sauce may be a little drier. If this is the case, add about 1/4-1/2 cup of reserved pasta water to achieve the desired consistency.
  • If your roasted pasta sauce is bitter, add a teaspoon or two of sugar to enhance the flavor. Fresh, ripe tomatoes will naturally add a sweet taste to the dish.
  • You can make this roasted veggie sauce without oil, but the oil helps to make the sauce creamier when blended.
Serving: 1bowl, Calories: 351kcal, Carbohydrates: 62g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Sodium: 301mg, Potassium: 407mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 996IU, Vitamin C: 36mg, Calcium: 36mg, Iron: 1mg
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