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Nomato sauce in a blue and white bowl with a spoon.

Nomato Sauce Recipe (Tomato Sauce Alternative)


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4.6 from 14 reviews

  • Author: Lindsay Cotter
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 2 3/4 cups (11 servings- 1/4 cup each) 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Use this nomato sauce for a nutritious tomato sauce alternative that’s gluten-free, dairy-free, nightshade-free, anti-inflammatory, and full of nutrients!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 Tablespoon light olive oil
  • 2/3 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
  • 1 cup peeled and diced beets (1 large raw beet)- see notes for purple or golden
  • 1 cup peeled and diced carrots (1-2 large carrots)
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
  • 1 1/2 cups nightshade free vegetable broth or chicken 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 (use a combo of both for best flavor)
  • Optional add-ins: 1 Tablespoon pitted diced olives, capers, or nutritional yeast

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté about 10 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Stir in minced garlic and sauté until fragrant or about 1 minute.
  2. Add in the beets, carrots, Italian seasoning, oregano, and salt and stir together. Add 1 cup vegetable broth. Cover and cook over medium heat until carrots and beets are fork-tender or about 20 to 30 minutes (the broth will almost be gone). Once cooked, transfer the ingredients in the pot to a blender. (See photos in blog post.)
  3. To the blender, pour remaining 1/2 cup broth and pumpkin puree. Blend until smooth. Alternatively, add remaining 1/2 cup broth and pumpkin puree to the pot and use a stick blender to blend into a puree. (For thinner pasta sauce, increase amount of broth to reach desired consistency.)
  4. Add the fresh parsley, lemon juice and/or balsamic vinegar, and optional add-ins, to the blender and blend again until smooth.
  5. Pour the sauce back into the pot (when using the blender) and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.
  6. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for up to 1 month.

Notes

Substitute Tips – 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, additional broth will be needed.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: sauces
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/4 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