Linguine with Summer Vegetable Puree

I know it's not summer yet, but I wanted to try this recipe from "One-Dish Vegetarian Meals" by Robin Robertson.

Linguine with Summer Vegetable Puree

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 zucchini, peeled and chopped
4 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, chopped (about 1 cup)
4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp tomato paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound linguine
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Add the zucchini, mushrooms, and tomatoes, and cook 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until the vegetables are very soft. Stir in the tomato paste and salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and puree. Strain the sauce into a saucepan through a fine-mesh strainer, and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes to blend the flavors. Keep warm over low heat, adding a little stock or water if the sauce becomes too thick.

Cook the linguine in a large pot of salted boiling water, stirring occasionally, until it is al dente. Drain and place it in a shallow serving bowl. Add the sauce and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the basil and serve immediately.

My notes: I used twice as many mushrooms because that's how many come in the package and I didn't want leftovers. It's April, so the tomatoes weren't really ripe. I left out the fresh basil. This was easy to make and since I pureed it in my industrial blender, I didn't need to strain it. The sauce came out with a disturbing orange color, but it tasted really good. I usually don't like pasta, but I scarfed this down. It did taste more like red bell pepper than tomatoes. My kids refused to eat it. Nigel said it was very flavorless. Looking over the recipe, it's really lacking in herbs and spices. My only complaint is that it made a lot more sauce than the amount of linguine listed in the recipe.