Tortellini with Sneaky Sauce

by Claudia

After 6 months I finally found a lunch the kids like! And they don't even know it's full of vegetables. Here is a recipe that makes enough for 6 kids plus 3 adults.

1 kg package cheese tortellini (whole wheat or tricolour)

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 zucchini, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can bruschetta style diced tomatoes
pinch each salt, pepper and brown sugar
grated parmesan

Boil pasta in lightly salted water until cooked, around 8 minutes. Drain, toss with a bit of olive oil, and store in a tupperware container for duty day.

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium and add onion, carrot, sweet potato and zucchini. Stir occasionally and cook until veggies are mostly softened. Add garlic, tomatoes and seasonings, and simmer covered for half an hour or more.

When done, let cool a bit then blend until smoothly pureed (sometimes I add a splash of almond milk to make it a little more creamy). Store in a container for duty day. To serve, just reheat tortellini with a one-minute dunk in boiling water, then drain and stir in cold sauce and sprinkle bowls of pasta with parmesan. I offer with an appetizer of cucumber chunks and steamed green beans.