This spaghetti sauce with squash is made with a combination of zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and seasoning cooked with jarred pasta sauce. The combination of fresh and pantry ingredients makes a sauce that is quick, easy, and delicious.
This pasta recipe is veggie only. It’s great in the summer when zucchini looks great and is super cheap. It’s flavorful and hearty so you won’t even miss the meat. But if you do, you can always pair it with this skillet Italian sausage.
If you enjoy this dish, try our fresh tomato pasta and this baked caprese chicken. They’re fresh, light, and simple to make. If you’re looking for a heartier pasta recipe, try this baked ziti that’s always a crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
- Oil – We use olive oil, but you can use your favorite oil if it’s suitable for sautéing.
- Produce – Zucchini, yellow squash, onions (yellow or white), garlic, and parsley for garnish (optional).
- Seasoning – The sauce is simply seasoned with Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper.
- Pantry – From the pantry you will need jarred pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, and pasta. For the jarred sauce use your favorite meatless variety. For the pasta we use spaghetti but other types like linguine, or tube pasta will work as well.
- See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.
Instructions
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium. Add the onions and cook for 3 minutes, stir often.
2. Next, add the zucchini and yellow squash. Cook 3 minutes, stir often.
3. Add the garlic, salt, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Cook for 1 minute while stirring.
4. Add the diced tomato and pasta sauce. Stir well. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Then, lower the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Cook the spaghetti while the sauce cooks. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt then add the pasta. Cook following the package directions for al dente.
Reserve a cup or two of the pasta water before draining. Drain the spaghetti and return it to the pot. If it starts sticking, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water, stir and it will become slippery again.
Taste the sauce and add salt if needed. As a reference we added ¼ teaspoon to ours.
Serve the spaghetti with the zucchini squash sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with parmesan cheese, if desired.
Storing and reheating instructions
Store leftovers in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or freeze for 2-3 months. Reheat, covered, in a non-stick skillet on medium-low heat or in the microwave until it reaches a temperature of at least 165°F.
For more information on food storage and safety guidelines visit U.S. Department of Agriculture and foodsafety.gov.
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📖 Recipe
Spaghetti Sauce with Squash
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 medium Onion finely diced
- 1 Zucchini cut into bite sized pieces (quartered and sliced into ½ inch pieces)
- 1 Yellow Squash cut into bite sized pieces (quartered and sliced into ½ inch pieces)
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon Salt plus 1 tablespoon for the pasta water and extra for the end if needed
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper optional leave it out if you don’t like spicy
- 1 24 ounce Jar Pasta Sauce use your favorite brand and variety of a meatless sauce
- 1 14 ounce Can Diced Tomatoes we use petite diced (do not drain)
- 16 ounces Spaghetti or favorite pasta
- 1-2 tablespoon Chopped Parsley for garnish optional
- Parmesan Cheese for serving optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet, saute pan, or pot over medium. Add the onions and cook for 3 minutes, stir often.
- Next, add the zucchini and yellow squash. Cook 3 minutes, stir often.
- Add the garlic, salt, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Cook for 1 minute while stirring.
- Add the diced tomato and jarred pasta sauce. Stir well. Raise the heat to medium-high and let the sauce come to a boil. Then, lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pot and cook the sauce gently for 20-25 minutes. Stir occasionally and keep the sauce at a simmer. Raise or lower the heat as needed.
- Cook the spaghetti while the sauce cooks. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt then add the pasta. Cook following the package directions for al dente.
- Reserve a cup or two of the pasta water before draining. Drain the spaghetti and return it to the pot. If it starts sticking, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water, stir and it will become slippery again.
- Taste the sauce and add salt if needed. As a reference we added ¼ teaspoon to ours.
- Serve the spaghetti with the zucchini squash sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- Don’t slice the zucchini and yellow squash too thin so that they hold up during cooking.
- Cook pasta in a large pot with plenty of water to prevent sticking and uneven cooking.
- Add salt to the water when cooking pasta to season it. Add it in when the water starts boiling.
- Test if the pasta is done after a few minutes of cooking, don’t rely solely on the suggested cooking time on the package.
- To not overcook the pasta, remove it from the heat and drain when it’s still a bit firm in the center (al dente). Once drained, the pasta will continue cooking a bit.
Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
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