Spaghetti in Rich Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups any pasta (I used whole wheat Spaghetti)
3-4 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 medium carrots, very finely chopped or grated
1 bell pepper, chopped small
4-5 garlic cloves
3 cups chopped tomatoes (about 6-8 large tomatoes) OR use 3 cans chopped tomato with the juice
2 tbsp tomato puree OR tomato ketchup if you like your sauce a bit sweet
6-7 cups vegetable broth / stock (or chicken broth, if you like)
1 tbsp of mixed herbs like parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, allspice
Salt to taste
1 tsp Black pepper, ground fresh
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

How to make?

1- In a pot, heat the oil and sauté onion until translucent. Add carrots and garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes.

2- Add chopped bell peppers, tomatoes, tomato puree, spices and about 4 cups broth. Bring to boil and then simmer for about 15-20 minutes till the carrot chunks are soft enough for your taste

3- Add pasta and simmer until it is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir from time to time and add more stock while cooking to achieve the consistency you like.
4- Sprinkle some herbs on top, and serve with grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Notes:

- 1If using spinach, add it towards the end of cooking with the pasta, to retain the nutritional value of the leaves.
- Other vegetables which are good for such pasta skillet are- baby corns, mushrooms, zucchini, sweet corns, peas, celery etc.
- If preparing sauce beforehand, cook it for 20 minutes and then store. When using for pasta, bring it to a boil using some extra water and add pasta to it. Do not add the pasta without bringing the stock / sauce to boil. Read my post on how to get the perfect pasta each time.
- The vegetables get soft when cooked in the sauce, and thats how I prefer them. But you may like them crunchy enough, so take care to adjust the cooking time accordingly