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After years of developing and sharing healthy recipes, I’ve become aware of more special diets that need unique recipes. One of those is a diet that avoids nightshades. (Think: tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, potatoes, and chili peppers.)
I can’t imagine a world without a delicious marinara sauce, so that’s why I spent weeks testing this tomato-free spaghetti sauce. It’s made with beets and carrots, but still has a remarkably similar flavor to the traditional version.
If you or someone you love needs an alternative to marinara sauce or has a tomato sensitivity, I hope you’ll love this nomato sauce as much as I do. It’s the perfect topping for pasta, pizza, and more!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“First nightshade-free recipe my kids declared a hit! Thank you!!!”
-Judy
Nomato Sauce Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chopped Vegetables. Carrots, beets, and yellow onion make up the majority of this tomato-free sauce. When they cook, they become tender and naturally sweet!
- Garlic. Luckily, garlic is not a nightshade, so you can achieve a classic Italian flavor with as much garlic as you like.
- Olive Oil. This is used to saute the veggies, but you can use any other oil you prefer, too.
- Lemon Juice. This adds a bright, tart flavor that would normally come from the acidity in tomatoes.
- Spices. Dried oregano and basil are added to boost the classic marinara flavor. Feel free to use other Italian spices you enjoy, too. (But no red pepper flakes or chili powder to keep it nightshade-free.)
How to Make Tomato-Free Sauce
Step 1:
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet with a lid. Add in the onion and sauté until it’s soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.
Add in the garlic, basil, and oregano and stir until they are fragrant, about 1 more minute.
Step 2:
Next, add in the carrots, beets, water, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring the liquid to a boil, then cover the pot and lower the heat, so the veggies can simmer until they are tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Step 3:
When the vegetables are soft and easily pierced with a fork, transfer them to a high-speed blender, along with all of the liquid in the pan.
Add in the lemon juice, then secure the blender’s lid and blend until the sauce has reached your desired consistency. (You can make it silky-smooth, or a little chunky, depending on your preference.) If you prefer a runnier sauce, you can add water 1 tablespoon at a time, until you are happy with the texture.
Safety Tip
When blending hot liquids, be sure to cover the vent in your blender’s lid with a thin towel, so steam can safely escape as you blend, without splattering. Otherwise, the steam pressure may build up as you blend, causing the lid to blow off your blender—which would be a very hot mess! Bullet-style & individual cup blenders are not ideal for blending hot liquids, since there is no venting option.
Serving Tips
Once the soup has been blended, adjust any seasoning to taste. If the beet you used was large, you may need to add more salt (just a 1/2 teaspoon at a time) to help counterbalance the sweetness of the root vegetable.
This AIP nomato sauce recipe makes roughly 4 cups, so you can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. (Be sure to leave a little room at the top of your storage container, so it has room to expand as it freezes.)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 yellow onions , chopped (about 2 cups)
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 pound carrots , peeled and chopped
- 1 medium beet , chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- In a deep skillet (with a lid), heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add in the onion and sauté until it’s soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add in the garlic, basil, and oregano and stir until it’s fragrant, about 1 more minute.
- Add in the carrots, beet, water, and 1 teaspoon of salt, then bring the liquid to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid, and lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook until the beets and carrots are fork-tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
- When the vegetables are soft, transfer them to a high-speed blender, along with all of the liquid in the pan. Add in the lemon juice, then cover the blender with a lid.Safety Note: Make sure that the steam can safely vent out of the lid, so the steam pressure won’t make the lid pop off during blending. (Cover the vent with a thin dish towel to prevent splattering.)
- Blend until the sauce is smooth, then adjust the seasoning to taste. Depending on how large the beet is that you used, you may need to add more salt. I start with a 1/2 teaspoon at a time (for a large beet you may need to add 1 extra teaspoon of salt in total) to help counterbalance the sweetness from the root veggies.
- Transfer the sauce to an airtight jar with a lid, and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. This sauce makes an excellent alternative to marinara sauce, so you can use it over pasta, pizza, in lasagna, and more. The sauce will keep well in the fridge for up to a week, but you can also freeze it for up to 3 months. (Just be sure to leave some extra room at the top of the jar, to allow for the sauce to expand as it freezes.)
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If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how you like it.
This was a great base recipe foe us tonight! I used and added your cashew cream recipe, added tomato paste, herbs de Provence, omitted the beets (because the flavor was so perfect already!). Thank you, this is my favorite recipe resource ever!
I have suffered for many years with severe migraines that effect my whole left side (Sensory Migraine with aura). By chance I realised one week my migraines had reduced, I realised I had stopped eating organic red peppers and began looking into the family of foods that they belong to. This is when I learned about ‘The Nightshade Family’ group of foods. I have cut-out peppers, tomatoes and white potatoes. Just by doing this, I have managed to get my life back, stopped taking triptans and been discharged from seeing the migraine specialist.
I’m finding it hard not cooking with tomatoes but was so pleased to come across your recipe. I have printed it off and cannot wait to cook. Thank you.
This is so yummy! We added more salt and italian seasoning and a touch more water to thin it out in the blender. The sauce is so creamy – kind of like a vodka sauce but without the dairy!
Is there an alternative I can do for the garlic and lemon? My daughter can’t have the garlic and lemon..
I tried this recipe last night to use a pizza topping. It was AMAZING. On its own, you probably wouldn’t quite be fooled into thinking it was tomato sauce, but on the pizza with other toppings, I genuinely couldn’t tell the difference. This is an absolute game-changer for me. I’m a pescatarian with a wheat intolerance and my partner is dairy-free with a sensitivity to tomatoes, so we really struggle to think of meals we can enjoy together. This sauce opens up so many new possibilities! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I used this in lasagna, and it worked great. I did add more seasoning than the recipe has as written, but that’s just personal preference. Also, I used an immersion blender rather than a standing blender. If you have one, it really simplifies things.
Hi have you tried to use butternut squash instead of carrot? My daughter can not eat carrot …
Thank you. A very good recipe
Disclaimer: I seldom leave reviews and am a hard marker. Having to cast aside nightshades has left me wanting for all my favorite foods which, of course, all contain tomatoes. I gave this a whirl even though I couldn’t imagine it would suit my fussy palate. Some folks have described it as edible and other s as delicious. It is certainly closer to delicious and in a few months I am sure I will be totally happy with it. I did add dried marinara seasoning which I will toast next time to mellow out the flavor. I substituted red wine vinegar which made it a lot better and had to play with the consistency as mine was very thick. All in all, i will definitely make it again and use it in chili, pizza, nacho soup etc. For those who are making it for families that are tolerant of nightshades, just mix this recipe with a tomato one and they will love it too.
Hello, Thanks so much for posting these substitutions. Because there is a huge lack for nightshade free salsa, I was wondering if you would be interested in producing a recipe similar to Kc naturals nightshade free salsa. The few recipes online are usually mango salsas or salsas that don’t look or come close to the real thing. Just thought I’d ask since you have had experience with making these kinds of substitutions. Thanks!