Quick Fix: Marinara Sauce

Weeknights can get really hectic at our house, but I am trying really hard not to resort to fast food or frozen pizzas! Recently, I discovered some tips from other moms on a message board about how to add a few ingredients to a jarred marinara sauce to create a yummy and nutritious dinner.

I took the idea and ran with it, so here's my quick and easy recipe for adding taste and nutrients to a jar of marinara:

1 jar of marinara sauce (whatever your family likes)

1 large carrot (or a small handful of baby carrots)

1 small zuchinni

(or any other veggies of your choice)

3 cloves of garlic

1 small shallot or extra small onion (whatever you have on hand)

1 tablespoon E.V.O.O.

1/2 cup grated italian cheese (mozzarella, romano, parmesan, asiago, etc.)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Put the veggies of your choice, the garlic, and the shallot or onion into a food processor until all are finely chopped. Meanwhile, heat E.V.O.O. in large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped mixture to the pot and saute for 2-3 minutes until veggies begin to cook and you start getting the yummy garlic smell! Then, add the jarred sauce. When sauce begins to bubble, add the cheese and stir until melted. Taste and add salt, pepper, or any other spices you feel would help (I threw in some fresh basil and...of course...garlic salt...).

This recipe made enough sauce for 2 family meals for us. I just refrigerated the leftovers to reheat another night. My guess is that it could also be frozen. Matt ate it over whole grain penne pasta that I boiled while making the sauce (almost perfect timing!). However, my new discovery/tip as far as pasta is concerned is frozen ravioli... They can be found with just cheese or - better - with spinach or other veggies!!! Best of all, they can be MICROWAVED in 2 minutes and taste just fine. I am really looking forward to just heating up ravioli and sauce later this week and having a meal ready in under 5 minutes!