In addition to gluten and dairy, there are a number of other foods I can’t digest. Pork and coffee are just as bad as dairy for me. I can only handle small amounts of carbonated beverages, green leafy vegetables, and anything too acidic (tomatoes, tomato sauce and citrus fruit). I had actually cut back on tomato sauce to the point where I was putting a single tablespoon on an entire plate of spaghetti! I’ve been working on the following recipe for years and was quite devastated recently when I lost it and all my handwritten notes. I did manage to find the original recipe I based this on (thank you Internet) and recreated my adaptations from memory. I also had to make it one last time to make sure it came out right. (Hence, the delay for those of you who have been asking for this!)
 |
| Tomato Free Pasta Sauce over Gluten Free Pasta |
I use about 2 cups of sauce per pound of pasta and this recipe makes around 6 cups of sauce. I usually just divide this into three uses and freeze the other two. This time however, I used one, froze one and divided the rest for use in chili and/or salsa (recipes coming soon). How much sauce you like on your pasta and what you are planning on doing with it will have to guide you on how to best use and store. Note: if you’d like to use this in place of tomatoes in other recipes (chili, etc.) then divide it out at step 8 (before you add the seasonings). Just keep in mind that the sauce will lose its red color the longer you cook it (beets turn brown if you over cook them) so be sure to adjust the point at which you add this tomato-less sauce to whatever you are cooking. This also means that if you freeze portions for later, be careful not to overcook when reheating.
You could also easily adapt this recipe to make a tomato-free Marinara style sauce (use only the Basil listed under the herbs section), tomato-free meat sauce, tomato-free Bolognese,
tomato-free chili,
tomato-free salsa,
tomato-free Jambalaya, tomato-free pizza sauce, etc.
And one last thought before I let you have the recipe. I really don’t like beets. I won’t say that I hate them (that’s an emotion I reserve for cauliflower) but I certainly wouldn’t willingly eat them. I can’t detect the taste of the beets in the final sauce.
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup of carrots (cut into ½ inch pieces)
2 medium sweet potatoes cubed (about 4 cups)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt to taste
Fresh black pepper to taste
1 roasted red pepper (omit if nightshade free)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 (8-ounce) can beets
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Optional herbs to make Marinara or other Italian sauce(s):
1/3 cup Basil (chopped or whole, see below) [Fresh is better, if using dried, 2-3 tbsp]
1/3 cup Parsley (chopped or whole, see below) [Fresh is better, if using dried, 2-3 tbsp]
3 tablespoons Oregano (chopped or whole, see below) [Fresh is better, if using dried, 2-3 tsp]
How to prepare tomato free sauce:
1. In a large stock pot, sauté the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until just starting to brown.
2. Add the carrots, diced sweet potatoes, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper then cover (barely) with water.
3. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer (covered) for 20-30 minutes until the carrots and sweet potatoes are very soft. Add the roasted red pepper if using. (I have read that many people who can’t eat tomatoes also can’t eat red peppers since they are in the same biological family.) You don’t need to substitute if leaving out and if you add more than one they may over power the final sauce.
4. Blend the contents of the pot until smooth (in batches in a blender or with an immersion blender). Add the olive oil during the blending.
5. The cornstarch in step 6 will thicken up the sauce slightly so don’t worry if it is a little runny. If the sauce is too thick already, add some water, if too runny simmer it awhile to thicken (cover the pot but leave the lid askew).
5b. If you boil your meatballs/sausage in the sauce, I would add them here as well.
6. Puree the contents of the can of beets (liquid included) and the cornstarch in a blender until very smooth (if only using for pasta sauce, to save some chopping you can add the fresh herbs here as well!)
7. Add the beet mixture back to the pot and simmer for about five more minutes.
8. If using for more than pasta sauce, portion out what you need and then add a prorated amount of chopped herbs to the remaining sauce.
Enjoy!
Updated - 07/06/11
If you don't want to make your own sauce, Nomato makes a Tomato Free Jarred Pasta Sauce. I've never seen it sold in NJ but it is available online from the Gluten-Free Mall by clicking here:
Nomato Pasta and Pizza Sauce (No Tomatoes).
Pin It
Other Recipes That Use This Sauce Recipe:
Tomato-free Chili Recipe
Tomato-free Salsa Recipe
Tomato-free Jambalaya Recipe
Other Tomato Free Recipes:
Other GF/DF/Vegan Pasta Recipes:
to make bread crumbs would leave plenty of large un-crumbed chunks.
