Everything-But-The-Kitchen-Sink Pasta Sauce

I had a bunch of veggies left from my market basket that needed to be used, so pasta sauce seemed the perfect solution. In addition to the vegetables (eggplant, zucchini, onion, garlic, carrots, bell pepper), I made meatballs out of a combination of ground beef and Italian sausage. Because the sauce was so thick, I decided to fry frozen tortellini like I did here. Andy and his dad really liked this meal! I added three (8-oz.) cans of tomato juice (leftover from another recipe) to the leftovers and am planning to serve the new mixture as Everything-But-The-Kitchen-Sink Soup later in the week. I'll report back on what we think. Enjoy!

Everything-But-The-Kitchen-Sink Pasta Sauce
Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 eggplant, cut into cubes
2 zucchini, cut into cubes
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and black pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 (28-oz.) can tomato puree
1 (8-oz.) can tomato juice
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. sugar
Meatballs
Fried tortellini
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Sauté onions and carrots in hot oil 5 minutes. Add in eggplant and next 2 ingredients, and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Add in crushed red pepper and next 4 ingredients. Cook, stirring often, for 15 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree the tomato mixture. Add in browned meatballs, and cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Serve over fried tortellini. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Meatballs:
2 links Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 lb. ground beef
2 Tbsp. Italian breadcrumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
Olive oil

1. Combine all ingredients. Shape mixture into balls, and cook in hot oil in a skillet until browned on all sides.