Who doesn’t love pasta…what I love most about it, is that it is so quick and easy to make. I find that store bought pasta and pizza sauces are ‘okay’ – however, they lack two things that I look for in any food – flavour and nutrition.

Sure, they have a few veggies thrown in, but I wonder at how those veggies are cooked, how long have they been on the shelf for, are the nutrients still present?…so many factors to consider while buying store bought food. And I would like the sauce to be awesomely delicious…which it always failed at achieving.

I made pizza some months ago, and the thought occurred to me – why is pizza an unhealthy food? I can make it healthy – fill it full of veggies, make it on a good (in my case, gluten-free) base and I don’t mind the kids eating it as a stand-alone meal!

That’s when I made this sauce. I’ve mixed it in with pasta and it is awesome. It freezes extremely well too. So make a large batch and keep it in the freezer for emergencies or ‘lazy days’. You can even whip it up when you hardly have any time, because it is soooo easy and quick!

My kids absolutely love it as do all of my friends who have tasted it. Taste – check. Nutrient dense. Check.

Here is why this sauce is so nutrient dense…

Oregano – This herb is a fantastic source of vitamin K. Vitamin K can help fight cancer, is great for your brain, bone and heart health. Deficiencies can occur if you are celiac or have cystic fibrosis.

Also, if you use antibiotics regularly, you are more likely to be deficient in this vitamin. Anti-bacterial, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti cancer etc…oregano is wonderful to treat upper respiratory illness, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, bronchitis, leukemia, etc.

Have you ever seen ‘oil of oregano’ in health food stores? This is used to treat head lice and RNA and DNA viruses, such as SARS!

Capsicum / bell peppers – These little wonders come in a variety of colours and are filled full of nutrition. They contain a whopping amount of vitamin C, vitamins A and B6. They also contain a large amount of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B1, E and K.

Studies have found that organically grown bell peppers have a higher amount of vitamin C. So choose organic if you want to choose one over the other.

They reduce the risk of a large number of chronic diseases – diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, etc. It is great for eye health as well.

Paprika – Just one serving of paprika is rich in antioxidants! This helps with preventing cancer, diabetes and it is good for your eyes.

Your children will thank you for this nutrition filled yummy sauce…trust me.