My favorite 5-ingredient pasta sauce is inspired by the Mediterranean diet — plus, it's packed with protein and fiber

Pasta with sauce is, and always will be, one of my most beloved comfort meals.

It's also one of the simplest, speediest, and most satisfying combos in my cooking repertoire, serving as a reliable staple at the end of my busiest days.

Because I've been trying to reduce the amount of ultra-processed foods in my diet, I've experimented with homemade sauces that are relatively low-effort yet made with entirely whole ingredients.

After sampling a range of recipes over the past few months, one flavorful sauce based on a recipe shared by Caroline Hanna, a nutritionist and chef, has emerged as a clear winner.

Here's how to make my favorite creamy pasta sauce

The recipe is easy to follow and features fresh, affordable ingredients. Rachel Hosie

• 2 red bell peppers, deseeded and chopped
• 200 grams cherry tomatoes
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled
• 200 grams butter beans, rinsed and drained (weigh them once drained)
• 150 grams ricotta

1. Preheat your oven to 390 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Add peppers, tomatoes, and garlic cloves to a baking tray and top with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried herbs of your choice.
3. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the ingredients are cooked through. Let the tray cool for a few minutes.
4. Add the baked vegetables to a blender with the beans and ricotta. You can also add some Parmesan and fresh basil at this step.
5. Blend until smooth. If you have a small blender, you may need to add the ingredients gradually between each blend.
6. Stir the sauce into cooked pasta to heat through, mix in more Parmesan, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

The recipe yields four servings, with each containing about 12 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. If you have leftover sauce, keep it in a sealed container in the fridge and use it within five days.

You can pair the sauce with any type of pasta you like. I typically go for a whole-wheat option for added fiber.

Before the bean-averse shy away from this sauce, let it be known that no one I've made it for has ever guessed they're even an ingredient in this recipe — you really can't taste them.

The blended beans just contribute to the sauce's smooth, creamy texture.

I'd never guess how nutritious the sauce is just by tasting it

The sauce doesn't take long to make, and I find it tastes better than jarred alternatives. Rachel Hosie

I love this sauce because it's packed with vegetables, fiber, and protein, but it still tastes as good as (if not better than) any jarred option I've bought in a grocery store.

It also provides more protein and fiber per serving than most store-bought options I've found.

Serving the sauce to picky kids is also a smart strategy if you're looking to sneak vegetables into their meals. Rachel Hosie

For more insights, I asked Nichola Ludlam-Raine, a dietitian and the author of "How Not to Eat Ultra-Processed," to review my recipe. She called the sauce "brilliantly balanced and nutrient-dense."

"It's rich in fiber, plant-based protein, and micronutrients," she said, adding that the fiber in the vegetables and butter beans can help support gut health and make the sauce more filling.

The dietitian also said this sauce "aligns with a Mediterranean-style pattern of eating," which focuses on fresh produce and plant-based proteins while limiting processed foods.

"It's packed with antioxidants, especially vitamin C and carotenoids, from the red peppers and tomatoes, and it contains healthy fats from the olive oil, which also helps the body absorb fat-soluble nutrients," Ludlam-Raine said.

Plus, it's easy to customize and dress up

I top my pasta dishes with fresh basil, pine nuts, and a small chicken breast. Rachel Hosie

If I have a little extra time and energy, I serve my saucy pasta with chicken, green vegetables, and pine nuts.

For those who want to pack in more fiber, Ludlam-Raine said, you can stir extra vegetables, such as spinach or roasted zucchini, into the sauce.

To add more protein to the sauce itself, you can swap the ricotta for cottage cheese. Personally, I prefer the taste of ricotta, but both are excellent options.

You can also use almost any variety of beans in the sauce, though I find butter beans work best. When I used red kidney beans (which you can see in the featured photos), the sauce came out beautifully.

"Overall, this is exactly the kind of nourishing recipe I encourage people to make," Ludlam-Raine said.