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★★★★★31 Comments

Nomato Sauce (Nightshade Free Tomato Sauce Alternative)

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by Lindsay Cotter Published: Dec 30, 2020

Dairy-FreeEgg-FreeGluten-FreeGrain-FreeNightshade-FreeNut-FreeVeganWhole30
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titled Pinterest collage (and shown): Tomato Free Nomato Sauce- Tomato Sauce Alternative

Nomato sauce is a dairy free, nightshade free, and anti-inflammatory tomato sauce alternative, and it tastes like marinara sauce! Full of antioxidants and nutrients, too.

nightshade free nomato sauce in blue and white bowl.

Y’all, it’s been one heck of a year, hasn’t it? I say this in both a positive way and a negative way. I mean, there are usually good times intertwined with bad ones, right?

We’ll get to the nomato sauce recipe in just a minute. But first, let’s focus on the GOOD events of 2020.

  1. COOKING FOR NOURISHMENT– We made good food for our bodies this year, and a LOT of it! In total, there were 106 new posts published here, including 6 meal plans!
  2. LEARNING- We learned how to eat on a budget, about the benefits of olive oil, and how plant based meals and proteins like tempeh can improve the way we feel. Oh, and let’s not forget about those helpful food storage tips.
  3. COMMUNITY- Even though we still need to socially distance for the health of others and ourselves, we have a helpful and supportive online community of like-minded, gluten free eaters. We spent a lot of time lifting one another’s spirits in a time of uncertainty.

Y’all are kind, decent people, and I’m happy to know you, even if only in a virtual way. Be proud of the fact that you are here at the end of a long year, still standing tall! 🙂

Okay, now let’s talk about one of the most incredible sauces that will ever cross your taste buds! You may think I’m exaggerating, but I’m not- it’s TRUE!

Nomato sauce doesn’t have any real tomatoes in it, because it is nightshade free. We’ll get more into that next month.

The important thing is, nobody will realize that tomatoes are missing from this sauce. Unless you tell them, of course.

Actually, this tomato sauce alternative just might be the best tasting fake marinara sauce that you will ever eat! Haha.

What’s in nomato sauce?

overhead photo: fresh ingredients on baking sheet to make two nightshade free dairy free sauces

The ingredients in this anti inflammatory recipe are wholesome and nourishing. You know… REAL FOOD ingredients.

NOTE: This isn’t the entire ingredient list… just the key components. You can see the full list and amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

  • Beets– You can use purple beets or golden beets. Nutritionally, they are equal. The difference is in the flavor, because purple beets have a sweeter flavor than the golden variety.

    Of course, the color of the sauce will be more of an orange-red color. But hey, you won’t end up with purple fingers after peeling them!

    Beetroot is an antioxidant-rich vegetable. It’s full of nutrients, including:
    • Vitamins B9 and C
    • Iron
    • Potassium
    • Manganese
    • Among other things, beets may help reduce inflammation and improve digestion!
  • Carrots- The beta-carotene and Vitamin A in carrots helps to fight oxidative stress on your eyes. Plus, this is another antioxidant veggie. Woo-hoo… TWO FOR TWO!
  • Pumpkin puree– If you prefer another squash, butternut, acorn, feel free to make homemade puree. It’s as easy as boiling or steaming the fresh squash, then pureeing it with a stick blender, or tossing it into a high speed blender for a couple of minutes.
  • Garlic- There are plenty of nutritional benefits to be found here! Garlic is a super defense against bacteria and viruses. Supposedly, it’ll chase away a vampire or two as well. Or, so I’ve heard. 😉

Finally, this tomato free pasta sauce is great for almost any dietary need. It’s nightshade free, dairy free, vegan, paleo, nut free, Whole30, and of course, gluten free.

overhead photo: tomato sauce alternative in small blue bowl

Watch the recipe video!

This tomato free pasta sauce is made in a snap, using an immersion blender (stick blender) or a traditional blender. Watch this video to see how it’s done!

Nomato Sauce Tomato Sauce Alternative

How to make Nomato Sauce

1. Cook the veggies.

Now, peeling and chopping beets and carrots and then cooking them may seem like a pain, I know, it means extra work.

One important reason to do this rather than using canned or frozen veggies is for better flavor! Also, you really want the beets to have as much moisture as possible so that the sauce isn’t too thick.

2. Puree the cooked vegetables.

If you own a stick blender (aka, immersion blender), this is the time to use it! Of course, if this isn’t an option for you, it’s not a problem; you can still make the recipe.

Just transfer the cooked veggies over to a blender to puree them. Then, add them back to the pan to finish making the nomato sauce.

beets and carrots cooking in a pot for a tomato free pasta sauce
Ingredients for nomato sauce in blender cup.
Nomato sauce in blender cup, looking down into it.

3. Adjust the consistency if needed, then simmer.

After you make a puree with the beets, carrots, squash, garlic, and a few spices, you’ll want to adjust the thickness of the sauce to your liking.

This can be done in one of two ways. You can use extra vegetable broth to thin it out. Or, if you’re planning to use it as a tomato free pasta sauce, you can thin the sauce with some of the pasta water. Easy peasy.

stirring red pepper sauce in large pot of penne pasta

RECIPE NOTES

How to store nomato sauce
Keep the sauce in a sealed container in the fridge, and use it up within a week. For longer storage, it can be frozen for up to 1 month.

  • For a sweeter sauce, use purple beets. For a lighter, more neutral flavor (with less pink stain), use golden beets.
  • It is possible to make this recipe using pre-cooked beets and carrots. However, the flavor will be muted, and the sauce will be much thicker, so you will definitely need to use additional broth.
plate of penne pasta with nomato sauce and fresh basil garnish
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nightshade free nomato sauce

Nomato Sauce (Tomato Sauce Alternative)


★★★★★

4.5 from 8 reviews

  • Author: Lindsay Cotter
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 2 ¾ cups (11 servings ¼ C. each) 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

Nomato sauce is a dairy free, nightshade free, and anti-inflammatory tomato sauce alternative, and it’s delicious! Full of antioxidants and nutrients, you can make this easy sauce recipe in your blender.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • ⅔ cup chopped yellow onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
  • 1 cup diced beets (1 large raw beet, peeled- purple or golden*)
  • 1 cup diced carrots (1-2 large carrots, peeled)
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 pinch kosher or sea salt
  • 1 ½ cups vegetable broth (use more for a thinner sauce)
  • 1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree (or other squash puree)
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice and/or 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar for extra tang (I use a combo of both)
  • Optional add-in: 1 Tablespoon pitted diced olives, capers, nutritional yeast

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat, then add and saute the onions until tender and golden, about 10 minutes. Add minced garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  2. Add beets, carrots, Italian seasoning, oregano, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir together. Add 1 cup vegetable broth. Cover and cook over medium heat until carrots and beets are fork-tender, 20 to 30 minutes. The broth will almost be absorbed by then. Once cooked, transfer ingredients in the pot to a blender. See photos in blog post.
  3. Add ½ cup broth and pumpkin/squash puree, then blend until smooth. Alternatively, add ½ cup broth and pumpkin/squash puree to the pot and use a stick blender to blend into a puree. Note: For thinner pasta sauce, increase amount of broth to reach desired consistency. Then, add fresh parsley, lemon juice and/or balsamic vinegar, and any optional add-ins, and blend again until smooth.
  4. Transfer ingredients back into the pot (if you used a blender) and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.
  5. Store in a sealed container in fridge for up to a week, or freeze for up to 1 month.

Notes

  • For a sweeter sauce, use purple beets. For a lighter, more neutral flavored sauce (with less pink stain), use golden beets.
  • It is possible to make this recipe using pre-cooked beets and carrots. However, the flavor will be muted, and the sauce will be much thicker, so you will need to use additional broth.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: sauces
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: ¼ c
  • Calories: 34
  • Sugar: 2.5 g
  • Sodium: 96.5 mg
  • Fat: 1.4 g
  • Saturated Fat: 0.2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 5.4 g
  • Fiber: 1.5 g
  • Protein: 0.7 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: nomato sauce, dairy free sauce, tomato sauce alternative, anti-inflammatory sauce

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @cottercrunch on Instagram and hashtag it #cottercrunch

Alright my friends! Let’s say YES to NOMATO sauce! Sorry, just had to go there. You’re welcome.

Cheers,

LC

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Categories: Blender, Condiments, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Nightshade-Free, Nut-Free, Stovetop, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole30 Tags: anti-inflammatory, antioxidants

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titled Pinterest collage (and shown): Tomato Free Nomato Sauce- Tomato Sauce Alternative
Lindsay Cotter of Cotter Crunch

About Lindsay

Hi, y’all, I’m Lindsay Cotter, a Nutrition Specialist with a focus on Gluten-Free eating. I love creating delicious nourishing food that anyone can enjoy.

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Laura

    02/25/2023 at 1:03 PM

    Finally! A tomatoless tomato sauce! I gave up trying to find one years ago, but sheer frustration (almost every recipe calls for tomatoes) I searchec again. I’ve got to say rhis recipe actually tastes quite like tomatoes! Thank you for creating this recipe.

    I put red food coloring in mine to get that red color we are all familiar with, because mine turned out more orange otherwise. The result looks beautiful.

    See my photo of it on my Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CpGRkXIPZr6/?igshid=NmE0MzVhZDY=

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoSammi (Cotter Crunch Test Kitchen)

      02/26/2023 at 1:59 PM

      Woohoo! We are thrilled you found this recipe, Laura. Thanks for giving it a try and tagging us on IG. It turned out so well. 🙂 Happy eating!

      Reply
  2. Peggy Nork

    01/07/2023 at 9:29 AM

    I love this sauce. I have made it many times. I am wondering if you have any additional suggestions to reduce the sweetness of the sauce. It is difficult in our region to get golden beets. Are there other ingredients I could add that could help reduce how sweet it is?

    Thank you for this recipe – I use it for pizza, spaghetti, meatball hoagies, etc…. everything I haven’t been able to eat for 15 years!

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      01/07/2023 at 3:55 PM

      Good question! You could try replacing the beets with carrot, sweet potato (not white potato), or even rutabaga along with a little more red onion to even out flavor. But not sure how it would taste. Worth a shot!

      Reply
  3. Mrsgk3

    10/18/2022 at 8:48 PM

    I was wondering if it is possible to can this sauce?

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      10/19/2022 at 9:38 AM

      Hi there! I haven’t tried canning it yet but I know other readers have! Should be a few comments about it below 🙌

      Reply
  4. Tasha

    09/17/2022 at 2:55 PM

    I really wanna try this, but I don’t like the taste of beets. Can you really taste the beet flavour?

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      09/17/2022 at 9:51 PM

      Try using more pumpkin and then golden beets. It won’t be red but still delicious!

      Reply
  5. Nancy Crawford

    07/17/2022 at 9:16 PM

    I am SO excited to find your recipe for Nomato Sauce! I have “silent reflux” and was told to not eat ANY tomatoes, cooked or raw. My reflux is better, but for over a year I have been missing one of my favorite vegetables, and I crave the taste of marinara sauce. I made your sauce for the first time today, and served it with spaghetti squash. It was delicious! Thank you so much for creating this recipe so people like me can still enjoy the taste of tomatoes. I am over the moon with gratitude!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      07/18/2022 at 7:40 PM

      Oh I am so glad! It’s also a great pizza sauce with my yeast free GF pizza crust. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Josanne

    07/05/2022 at 6:53 AM

    Are purple beets the same as red beets?

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      07/05/2022 at 4:10 PM

      Yes, very similar! Both should work in the sauce.

      Reply
  7. Annie

    05/31/2022 at 6:01 PM

    This sauce sounds great but l gave fructose as well as dairy gluten how can I replace the carrrot onion and garlic to get flavour in the sauce any suggestions thank you

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      06/01/2022 at 1:46 PM

      Hmmm that’s a good question. Do you mean low fodmap vegetables? What vegetables can you have?

      Reply
  8. Cheryle

    05/22/2022 at 12:02 PM

    Yes, beets are not in the night share family. However, they’re high in oxalate acid and calcium binds to oxalate acid and builds up in kidneys, arteries and other organs, muscles, tendons etc. I stay away from foods in both catogories.

    ★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      05/24/2022 at 3:26 PM

      Very true! Thanks for that info Cheryle.

      Reply
  9. Anne

    05/16/2022 at 8:07 AM

    I would like to can this sauce, do i need to add anything to increase and accid lever for preserving? I have in the past preserved tomato sauses, and other recipies. but i cannot seem to find a nightshade recipie for nightshade free sauce. please help.

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      05/16/2022 at 11:40 AM

      good question. I haven’t tried canning this before, but I would treat is similar to canning a baby food or something more more starchy and sweet, like a beet or pumpkin sauce. I heard you’re not supposed to can pumpkin puree unless you boil it twice too. It removes all the bacteria from the puree and puree stays fresh in sterilized glass jars. This is just my research

      Reply
    • Susan

      07/10/2022 at 1:58 AM

      Could you try freezing it instead of bottling it? I think if you are using the American method of pressure canning (requires a special canner not just a pressure cooker) rather than the Aussie/English style of water bath (Fowlers) bottling you could still preserve it that way. I’ve looked at pressure canners though, they are pretty expensive here in Australia.

      Reply
    • Lucy Farfort

      01/22/2023 at 11:07 AM

      Just made this sauce and I love it. It’s like extra tasty tomato sauce. So pleased I found it, because I can no longer eat tomatoes as they make my eczema flare badly, and having a seven year old we eat pasta and sauce at least once a week. Thanks so much for sharing this

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

        01/22/2023 at 12:08 PM

        It makes me so happy your kiddos can enjoy their favorites again! Let me know how else I can help!

        Reply
  10. Jes

    04/26/2021 at 11:38 AM

    Hello! I haven’t made this yet, but a co-worker shared the recipe with me. Do you know if it’s possible to make large batches of this and then can it? He and I both agreed it would most likely need to be canned using a pressure cooker, but wondering if you’ve had any success with canning it. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      04/27/2021 at 12:40 PM

      Hi Jes! I haven’t tried canning this sauce yet, but I know it can be made in a pressure cooker. Let me know if you try it!

      Reply
  11. Sparkie

    03/16/2021 at 5:46 PM

    So thankful for this awesome recipe. I like this better than tomato sauce. Its filling, high fiber and very nutritional. Add it to some gf pasta and steamed veggies. So good and healthy. Thanks again

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      03/17/2021 at 2:33 PM

      Wonderful! so glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  12. AMY SCHALLA

    01/19/2021 at 9:45 AM

    I am nightshade intolerant and I cannot wait to make this. Thank you so much 😄

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      01/19/2021 at 2:01 PM

      KEep me posted AMy!

      Reply
  13. Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes

    01/03/2021 at 11:52 PM

    Love all the nutrients in this sauce!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      01/05/2021 at 7:41 AM

      Thanks, Ashley! It’s a nutritional powerhouse for sure! 🙂

      Reply
  14. wilhelmina

    01/01/2021 at 1:28 PM

    This sauce in so delicious! It is such a great alternative to tomato based sauces, a fabulous recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  15. LAUREN KELLY

    12/31/2020 at 12:06 PM

    This is so smart! Thank you so much for making this. I am making this for my dad who can’t tolerate night shades!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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titled Pinterest collage (and shown): Tomato Free Nomato Sauce- Tomato Sauce Alternative
Lindsay Cotter of Cotter Crunch

About Lindsay

Hi, y’all, I’m Lindsay Cotter, a Nutrition Specialist with a focus on Gluten-Free eating. I love creating delicious nourishing food that anyone can enjoy.

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