Clean Eating Simple Spaghetti Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the healthiest pasta sauce? ›

Instead of the usual tomato-based sauce, you can try healthier alternatives like pesto made with fresh basil, garlic, nuts (such as pine nuts or almonds), and olive oil. Another option is a sauce made from roasted vegetables like bell peppers, zucchini, and carrots blended with herbs and a little olive oil.

If you're looking to make your tomato sauce more GERD-friendly, here are a couple of tips: Use less of it in your cooking – opt for light-sauce foods. Add small pinches of baking soda to your tomato sauces, but be careful not to salt the food beforehand.

If the reason you're wanting to “sweeten” the sauce is because the tomato is too tart [highly acidic] then a pinch of baking soda should do the trick. Or if you really like your sauce sweet for the sake of sweetness, then add a carrot or bit of sweet potato while it's cooking.

Carrot and Beet Sauce

Similar to marinara but with a different flavor, carrots, and beets offer a ton of nutrition and can be supplemented in many dishes that use tomato sauce. Try sauteeing the vegetables with onion, garlic, and olive oil, then blend to desired texture. Add seasonings to taste.

Tossing in strips of basil, a sprig of thyme or some oregano can take your sauce to the next level. Although fresh herbs might pop a bit more, dried herbs and spices can work just as well. Sprinkling in some red pepper flakes, a pinch of parsley and a dash of salt and pepper can liven up your jarred pasta sauce.

Ground turkey

Plus, ground turkey can help boost your intake of many nutrients, including protein, B vitamins, and iron ( 16 ). Try using ground turkey in place of other types of meat like pork or beef to give recipes, like pasta bolognese, a healthy twist.

Pureed vegetables: Pureed vegetables such as cauliflower, zucchini, or squash can be mixed with tomato paste or crushed tomatoes to create a flavorful and nutrient-dense sauce. Pesto: Pesto is made from basil, garlic, pine nuts, and olive oil, which makes it a great low-calorie option.

Beets and carrots—two nutritious vegetables with a range of health benefits—can be combined to create a tasty tomato sauce alternative.

Add Some Baking Soda

If your tomato sauce is too acidic and verging on bitter, turn to baking soda, not sugar. Yes, sugar might make the sauce taste better, but good old baking soda is an alkaline that will help balance the excess acid. A little pinch should do the trick.

Canned tomatoes are already cooked so that process is halfway there. Fruit and carrots are a very natural way to add mild sweetness, and carrots are my personal favorite for this. Peel them, dice or grate them and add them to your sauce. They can be pureed or left chunky.

How to make tomato sauce that won t cause heartburn? ›

It is widely held that Italian immigrants began adding sugar to their sauce to make up for the overly acidic tomatoes they were forced to work with in their new home. But the history of sugar in pasta sauce actually goes back to Italy itself.

Sugar is necessary if the tomatoes are too tart

Bobby Flay tells Today that he puts a little bit of sugar in his tomato sauce and admits the practice is controversial, saying "Some people say don't ever put sugar in your tomatoes ... but if they're acidic, you'll want a little bit of sugar to balance it out."

Carrots- While carrots are not a traditional ingredient for spaghetti sauce or pasta sauce, they are the secret ingredient here that helps thicken the tomato sauce while also adding natural sweetness. I use 2 carrots (smaller carrots are okay to use).

IF YOU COOK spaghetti in a big pot of water, drain it, then toss it with sauce, you are pouring a lot of flavor down the drain, says Vendemmia chef Brian Clevenger. “The trick to good pasta is cooking it in the sauce,” he says. It was while working at Delfina in San Francisco that he really started to understand why.

Starting with good quality tomatoes and crushing them by hand offers great flavor and texture later on. The combination of butter and oil releases fat-soluble aromatics and gives the sauce a creamy texture. Slowly cooking the sauce in the oven creates rich caramelization without burning.

Red pepper flakes, dehydrated or fresh garlic, dried oregano, parsley, or basil, or an Italian seasoning blend are all good options. Dried herbs and spices should be added at the beginning of the cook time so that they have time to bloom.