4 Easy and Healthy Pasta Sauce Recipes for Quick Weeknight Meals

Luckily, I have found a sure-fire way to ensure my pasta meals are nutritious (and delicious) so my kids and I never need to compromise on health or taste. Camp’s various mac’ n’ cheeses make it so simple for me to prepare quick, weeknight meals that don’t require tons of money or energy. Camp pasta is made with brown rice, zucchini, carrots, corn and pea protein; and to top it off, it’s gluten-free! Using Camp as my starting base for any pasta dish is an easy choice, because I don’t need to worry about sneaking in extra veggies, and my kids get something they love.

The best part is that I can even get creative with how I prepare my pasta—that way, no two meals are exactly the same. My favorite way to change things up throughout the week is to mess around with ingredients and find tasty and healthy sauces to mix in with my Camp Twist pasta. I love making fun sauces for my kids and I to try with our Camp, not only because of the incredible taste and simplicity of the meal, but for all the added health benefits hidden within every dish!

My favorite sauce I’ve concocted so far has been my signature avocado sauce. My kids love these dishes because of how great the sauces taste (and because they’re obsessed with pasta, of course). In addition to my signature avocado sauce, I’ll be walking you through my two other easy pasta sauce options, including my stand-in option for a healthier red sauce and my take on Camp’s healthy Vegan Cheezy Mac. Follow along for some inspiration that’s in-pasta-ble to ignore!

Avocado Sauce

As I mentioned, my favorite sauce to make would absolutely be my tried and true Avocado sauce! While it already feels so satisfying to be able to provide my kids with nutritious pasta dishes, I love to take it a step further and cook up a unique, nourishing sauce to tie it all together.This simple, rich recipe gives any of Camp’s pastas a strong kick of avocado every guac lover needs now and then. The main ingredient for this sauce is a whole lot of avocado! This recipe includes avocados, avocado oil, olive oil, feta cheese, garlic cloves, onions, salt, and pepper. I love to mix this sauce in with Camp’s pasta because of the way the texture of the avocado and pasta blend together.

Basil Pesto Sauce

A basil pesto sauce is one of my favorites to prepare because it makes low-effort work feel like a five-star meal prepared by a professional! For this sauce, I just like to blend parsley, basil, olive oil, parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, roasted almonds or pine nuts, and a little honey; once blended, I add it into the pasta of my choice (always Camp, naturally!). These ingredients work in harmony together to give you a light, refreshing pasta dish that’ll make your tastebuds sing. It's all about balance though—if you overdo it on one or more of the ingredients, you could run the risk of that ingredient overpowering your entire pot. Once you find the right groove, this sauce will be your go-to for healthy nights in.

Healthy Red Sauce

You can never go wrong with a tried-and-true choice! For a traditional pasta dish, I love to prepare a classic red sauce with a healthy twist. This sauce not only tastes great over Camp’s pasta, but is delicious when paired with grilled chicken or your protein of choice. It can be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to five days, so you can use it for other dishes (or a repeat meal, depending on how busy your week is). The ingredients for this sauce are surprisingly healthy already; your shopping list should contain olive oil, red onion, garlic, tomatoes, red wine, dried oregano, dried basil, and salt! While there is no one way to make red sauce, I often blend or mash my tomatoes (or skip a step and buy a can!), roast my garlic, and combine everything into one pot until it’s hot.

Yellow Squash Cheese Sauce

If it ain’t broke, don't fix it—just add your favorite veggies to it! Camp’s Vegan Cheezy Mac comes with a cheez sauce that is to-die-for; it’s made from spinach, sweet potato, maitake mushroom, and sunflower seeds. Since it is already so delicious on its own, I like to add veggies that elevate the already amazing flavors this mac’ n’ cheese has on its own. I like to blend some roasted yellow squash into the cheese sauce, then add my favorite veggies like carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, and zucchini! This sauce is made up of raw cashews, yeast, almond milk, lemon juice, salt, paprika, and olive oil. My yellow squash cheese sauce is not only great for a classic mac’ n’ cheese, but it's incredibly tasty when drizzled over veggies or even baked potato. Whichever way you decide to use it, it’s great to keep a batch on hand for adding a little vegan cheezy goodness whenever inspiration strikes.

There you have it! Next time you pick up your favorite Camp Mac n’ Cheese, consider whipping up your very own sauce to make it uniquely your own.