Veggie & Sausage Ragu

You will love this recipe because 1. It has lots of veggies, but no chopping and your kids won’t even know they are in the sauce 2. It tastes like it has been cooking all day but it takes 20 minutes of prep work and can be on the table in less than 45 minutes 3. It can be served over various noodles so if your kids want pasta and you want something lighter it accommodates everyone, and 4. It is also a choose-your/own-adventure recipe and can be made in an instapot, slow cooker, or if you are around during the day, on the stovetop.

Serves 6-8

1 Tablespoon avocado oil
3-4 celery stalks, about 1 cup
2 carrots, washed but not peeled, about 1 cup
1 small zucchini, - about one cup
1 small onion, about 1 cup
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 lb Italian pork sausage
14 oz Italian chicken or turkey sausage
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
28 oz jar of marinara (we like Raos)

Slice the celery, carrots, zucchini and onion in large chunks and place in a food processor or blender with 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds and blend on medium low until broken down.

Warm the avocado oil in your instapot on the sauté feature or in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sauté the sausages until opaque, about 8 minutes. Add blended vegetables, garlic, Italian Seasoning and salt and sauté for an additional minute. Add tomato sauce.

Options:

Set Instapot to 20 Minutes and cook.

Transfer to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.

Leave in a Dutch oven on the stovetop, covered, and cook over low, stirring every thirty minutes for 4-6 hours.

Enjoy over pasta, veggie noodles or polenta.