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The next time you are in the grocery store, purchase the basic freezer & pantry basics for this recipe so you’ll always have the ingredients on hand for a healthy & filling Italian dish. Of course, it’s best to use fresh ingredients when making this type of recipe, but when you’re in a pinch, try my “quick” version that has rescued dinnertime for me on several occasions!

Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to a frying pan along with some fresh, chopped garlic (minced garlic in the jar is a great shortcut here too) and saute for apx. 2 minutes. Add the 1st package of frozen vegetables, usually called “Seasoning Mix”. Saute for 2 more minutes.

Add the 2nd package of frozen vegetables, usually called “Italian Blend”, which consists of carrots, zucchini, cauliflower and pea pods.

Add 2 tablespoons each of the following Italian seasonings: Sweet Basil, Oregano and Parsley.

Saute for 2 more minutes.

Add diced tomatoes (fresh or canned) to the vegetable and spice mix.

Turn burner to simmer and cover with pan lid.

After apx. 5-10 minutes of steaming, remove the lid, stir well and add blended ingredients to a crock pot.

All that’s left to add is a tomato sauce of your choice.  You can make your own, using 1 or 2 large cans of tomato sauce and 1 small can of tomato paste or to save time – a jar of pre-made tomato sauce.

Blend vegetable mix with tomato sauce, add lid and simmer (on low) until ready to serve.

Serve over your choice of pasta noodles. To make this even healthier, use a whole grain pasta and ENJOY!

Bon Apetit!

Eileen