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!
| Buy Now: Nomato Pasta Sauce from the Gluten Free Mall |
Updated - 07/06/11
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:
Don't forget to check out my recipes lists: Recipes without Tomato, Nightshade Free Recipes, GERD / Acid Reflux Recipes, and Vegan Recipes.
Thank you! I just tried Nomato for the first time and will definitely buy it again, but I couldn't help wondering how to make it from scratch when I have the time. I will be trying this recipe soon!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! Just make sure you cook everything until it is very soft - that's the key. It really makes for a smooth sauce at that point. Let me know how it turns out!
ReplyDeleteWe just made this recipe and it was fantastic. We had the wrong size can of beets, so it was 15 oz. of beets instead of 8, and the sauce was thick enough we didn't decide to use the corn starch, but otherwise we followed the recipe. It was so delicious, that we are thinking of making it even if tomatoes are allowed back into our diet later. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteGood to hear Clara!
ReplyDeleteHello Jason,
ReplyDeleteThank you again for finding me fumbling with the Basic Nomato Recipe. I have tried this one and find that it is much better in terms of flavour and consistency, my experience is on my blog at http://wp.me/p2088R-6S.
I still look forward to the Chicken Cacciatore and will be perusing your offerings for any other tasty recipes. Thanks for sharing.
Ian
@Ian, glad it worked out for you! I just made this again this weekend but this time used a large can of pumpkin puree instead of sweet potatoes. Just as good!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this recipe! It made quite a bit of sauce, enough to put up in the freezer. It's pretty good!
ReplyDelete@Taylor - glad you liked it!
ReplyDeleteYeah this recipe worked out great! I added a bit of lemon zest and some basil and parsley as suggested and it tastes really close to the real thing!
ReplyDeleteI'm on a very restricted diet due to my baby (nursing). I couldn't find anything to make the rice noodles taste good until now. THANK YOU. This recipe is amazing even when omitting the onions and garlic. I can't wait to make it on a regular basis with all of the ingredients :)
ReplyDelete@Erica and @jurekrl, I'm glad you both liked it!
ReplyDeleteHello! I'm hoping to try this recipe, but my kids are also lemon and sweet potato free. Any suggestions on how to adjust the recipe to make that work? :)
ReplyDelete@Earthy Mama - I've made it with a large can (15oz I think) of Pumpkin Puree instead of the sweet potatoes and it was just as good. You should be fine without the lemon juice, it gives a bit of acidity to the sauce and helps keep the sauce from turning brown too quickly. The real key are the herbs, that's what gives the flavor.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing this recipe. I have no food allergies at all but my newborn son who is nursing does and I would rather restrict my diet than offer formula. I was really bummed when I found out I had to go off nightshades because it limits most processed foods. Paprika is a nightshade & can be concealed under the label "flavorings" or "spices" so I have to make everything from scratch. Not as easy as it sounded since I have others in our family of 6 who miss things like homemade pizza. I was really skeptical about trying this because I dislike beets and thought, really, how close can sweet potatoes and carrots actually mimic tomato?????? The answer- very close!!! I usually "force down" some of the substitution foods I've tried or else I just choose to omit the food from my diet since alternatives are so expensive, but now that I found this recipe & can freeze portions of it, I will be opening the door to more variety in my meals!!!
ReplyDelete@Heather J, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I really don't like beets and wouldn't eat this if you could taste them! :-)
DeletePlease feel free to share a link back to this recipe with any other Moms you feel could use it!
It surprises me everytime I see a gluten-free label that includes onions and (green) bell peppers. I've yet to find salsa sans onions and bell peppers - want the "Mexican" flavor without the "food poisoning" effect on my intestines. Is there a way to modify your recipe to make salsa? In the meantime, I will make the sauce and freeze - have wanted to make my own GF pizza and now I can.
ReplyDeleteOnions and bell peppers are naturally gluten free and don't cause me any other dietary issues so yes I use them quite a bit.
DeleteWhile I've got a recipe for turning this into tomato free salsa you could easily make this a 'mexican' type salsa by substituting the italian herbs above for cilantro and lime juice (I'd go 1 lime and 1/2 cup cilantro per cup of salsa). [The lime juice will thin the sauce a bit so if you want it thicker you'll have to adjust elsewhere.] If you can have other types of peppers then perhaps add some jalapenos or chili powder as well?
is this fine without the balsamic vinegar? I'm sugar free and balsamic vinegar is like pure sugar?
ReplyDeleteIt should be fine. The Balsamic provides a bit of mellowness to the finished sauce but the real key are the herbs which give it that italian flavor. Let me know how it turns out!
DeleteOf course, I can't have sweet potatoes or cornstarch. But maybe I can take some things from your recipe and add it to the other recipes I've found.
ReplyDeleteAs suggested in some of the other comments above, just use a 15oz can of pumpkin puree instead of the sweet potatoes. The corn starch is just to thicken the sauce, you could omit or simply sub out for any other starch/thickener.
DeleteTHANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING THIS. Two of my daughters are allergic to citric acid and foods containing tomato and I have been trying to find some pasta sauce other than a cream based sauce that we are frankly very tired of.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that they made a nomato sauce! I look forward to trying your recipe! I'm so excited! Thanks!
Glad you found it!
DeleteI was wondering if I could substitute apple cider vinegar as a substitute for the lemon juice as my girls can not have lemon?
ReplyDeleteYou should be fine without the lemon juice, it gives a bit of acidity to the sauce and helps keep the sauce from turning brown too quickly. While vinegar will add the acidity it won't have an effect on the coloring. The real key are the herbs, that's what gives the flavor.
DeleteHelp. New to Allergy free diet. My seven year old is on elimination diet and the next few weeks will prove difficult. I am trying to do pasta but cannot use the following during Phase 1 of the diet, Tomatoes, Cow's Milk, Carrots, Soy, Chicken, eggs, Peppers (red, green, orange, yellow).
ReplyDeleteThis does not leave much left for a base sauce. I have had limited success so far in getting him to take Rice milk. Almond milk and coconut he can have but less success in getting over his lips. Philidelphia cream cheese is OK notwithstanding the cow's milk exclusion.
Any ideas on sauce that a seven year old would eat. I have seen pesto sauces but want to try to make his meals enjoyable so he can stick with it without fighting us. Going with the idea of he will eat if he gets hungry enough is not my first option.
I don't have children so I can't make suggestions on what a 7 year old would eat. Perhaps olive oil with sliced black olives? I might even try a variation on the above recipe using just the sweet potatoes and beets (but would probably use less beets to avoid an over powering taste). Good luck!
DeleteSadly I am allergic to tomatoes too! Sighs.....
ReplyDeleteI know this might seem a silly question, but I am trying to understand the measures by converting the cups in the metric system. Wolfram|Alpha tells me 4 US cups of potatoes are about 680 grams, but if I ask it the weight of two potatoes (in your post you say it's the same) it says 346 grams.
ReplyDeleteCould you help me understand better? Thank you. :)
I don't know how Wolfram|Alpha is making its calculation (but I suspect it depends on the size of the potato pieces since we're translating volume to weight). I have a four cup measuring cup and after I peel and cube the sweet potatoes they come up to the 4 cup line. That's how I'm measuring for the sauce. That same measuring cup has a 1 liter line that is just slightly higher so you could do the same with a metric measuring cup. Next time I'm in the supermarket I'll weigh two UNpeeled sweet potatoes of about the size I use and update this.
DeleteThank you for your quick reply. :) I will go with volume then!
DeleteI weighed two sweet potatoes that I thought were about the size I would use and they came out to about 1.25 pounds (unpeeled) which apparently is about 567 grams. [I usually buy a box of sweet potatoes and then peel and cube until I get to the 4 cups which is why I'm guestimating here.] The next time I make this sauce I'll weigh what I use.
DeleteGreat, thank you very much! :)
DeleteHello,
DeleteMy son is on a restrictive diet due to eczema. So glad I have found your site, after much scouring of the net looking for tomato free products. Will be making the sauce weekend. Many thanks for shearing. Keep up the good work :-)
Bravo! Apologies, I went in to this with serious doubts (anyone with multiple food intolerances/allergies can relate) had to slightly alter the altered recipe to accommodate personal sensitivities but WOW, yummy! Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteI'm so amazed that someone else has so many of my same intolerances! I have celiac so no gluten, I can tolerate diary but not high lactose items, I cannot eat pork at all, allergic to pumpkin seeds, questionable reactions to peanuts, and tomato acids bother me bad, and I can only eat limited greens as well! I will try this sauce! What a great solution. I have some recipes meeting most of your requirements at GlutenFreeVA as well! :-)
ReplyDeleteWith the foods you listed I wondered if you've ever been tested for fructose malabsorption as it sounds similar to my recent diagnosis.
ReplyDelete