Yes, You Can Make Nightshade-Free 'Tomato' Sauce — Here's How
If you're sensitive to nightshades, chances are you miss the comforting cuisine that is Italian food. When people consume nightshades who can't digest them well, these foods can become inflammatory rather than gut-healing. It's a real shame because some of the best Italian dishes seem to incorporate most members of the nightshade family (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, and bell peppers, to name a few), and even the most classic of recipes include some version of tomato sauce.
Lucky for you, anti-nightshade crew, this recipe from Sophie Van Tiggelen's The Autoimmune Protocol Meal Prep Cookbook offers a nightshade-free marinara that's perfect to pour over any pasta. If you've been missing your traditional Italian dishes, you'll love this thick, vibrant faux-tomato sauce. Whether you opt for whole wheat pasta or zucchini noodles, you'll be sure to get in your spaghetti fix.
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Nightshade-Free Marinara Sauce
Yields 4 cups (960 ml) or 24 ounces (672 g)
Ingredients:
- ½ pound (225 g) beets
- ½ pound (225 g) carrots
- ½ pound (225 g) sweet potatoes
- 1⅓ cups (320 ml) chicken Bone Broth (page 180)
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons (2 g) dried basil
- 2 teaspoons (2 g) dried marjoram
- 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (omit for low-FODMAP)
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Method:
- Peel and dice the beets, carrots, and sweet potatoes.
- Add to a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, until tender, about 30 minutes.
- Drain the water when the root vegetables are done, and transfer them to a food processor equipped with an S-blade.
- Add the chicken broth, coconut aminos, balsamic vinegar, herbs, salt, and garlic powder. Process on high until smooth, 30 to 45 seconds.
Note: Store for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or freeze for up to 4 months.
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Jamie Schneider is the Beauty & Wellness Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.A. in Organizational Studies and English from the University of Michigan, and her work has appeared in Coveteur, The Chill Times, and Wyld Skincare. In her role at mbg, she reports on everything from the top beauty industry trends, to the gut-skin connection and the microbiome, to the latest expert makeup hacks. She currently lives in New York City.