Anytime I have store-bought sauce, I’m reminded that it’s never as good as the homemade pasta sauce that I can make myself with about 15 mins of effort. Since jarred sauce often contains added sugar and preservatives, making my own sugar-free sauce from glass-jarred tomatoes is a no-brainer.

Don’t let the simplicity of this recipe fool you — the flavor is outstanding! This might be one of the most highly complimented things I’ve ever made (it’s a go-to I’ve served for dinner parties and many family meals). I’m planning to make a giant batch for Christmas gifts next year — and it would make for a great hostess gift!

How I like to serve homemade pasta sauce

This easy homemade pasta sauce is great on regular noodles, but I usually serve it with a fresh Gluten Free pasta that’s ready in about 3 minutes.  I also love it with Instant Pot spaghetti squash. I save time and trouble by cooking the squash whole in the Instant Pot.
If you’d like to add protein to this meal, we always love it with the Organic Spinach Chicken Sausage from Whole Foods Market and a simple side salad.

Other healthy ways to enjoy this pasta sauce: on cauliflower rice, zoodles, or as the sauce on your favorite cauliflower pizza crust. This sugar-free sauce recipe is vegetarian, gluten free, keto, & paleo compliant as long as you tolerate grass-fed butter (given that it’s very low in lactose and higher in Omega-3s than regular butter).

Health benefits of this homemade pasta sauce

You’ll love this homemade pasta sauce because it’s easy and delicious. But here are a few health and nutritional benefits you can also feel good about:

• Tomatoes are an excellent source of lycopene, a cancer-fighting antioxidant. They release even more lycopene and other key nutrients when cooked. Tomatoes are also a good source of folate, potassium, fiber, vitamin C, beta-carotene and choline. This means they’re beneficial for heart health, blood pressure, eye health, skin, and pregnancy as well.
• Onions and garlic have been considered medicinal foods in many traditions. They contain an impressive range of vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting phytochemicals. These fight cancer, inflammation, cell and DNA damage according to the American Institute for Cancer Research. Onions and garlic are also prebiotics that promote healthy gut bacteria.
• Basil has also been appreciated as a healing food in traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda. Even in small quantities, basil delivers a decent amount of vitamin K.
• Organic grass-fed butter is significantly more healthy than butter from grain-fed cows. It’s full of healthy fats, vitamins, and has a superior omega-3 to omega-6 ratio. Mark’s Daily Apple covers the many benefits in detail here.

Easy Homemade Pasta Sauce

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Kaleifornian
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hr 5 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
• Yield: 2.5 quarts 1x

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Description

This recipe is extremely simple, sugar-free, and makes enough for 10-12 servings.  I like making a large batch that I can divide between a few meals. I will typically freeze at least one pint to have on hand for the future.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 jars diced or crushed tomatoes
• 1 jar strained tomatoes
• 1  onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of  garlic, minced
• 1 large bunch of basil, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 stick of grass-fed butter

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Instructions

1. Saute onion in 1 tablespoon of the butter for a few minutes until softened are translucent. 
2. Reduce heat to Medium/Low, add in minced garlic and saute for another minute or two, stirring frequently to keep it from burning.
3. Add remaining ingredients (basil, jarred tomatoes, remaining butter).
4. Simmer for about an hour on Low, stirring occasionally. You can simmer for up to 2 hours as long as the heat is very low.
5. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning. You may want to add another 1/4 teaspoon or so of salt.
6. Serve on pasta, spaghetti squash, or cauliflower rice. If you tolerate dairy, I love to sprinkle with Parmesan cheese or stir in fresh mozzarella balls (halved) for a decadent treat while it’s nice and hot!
7. Store leftover sauce in a mason jar for later in the week or in the freezer.

 

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Notes

Shopping Tips

• Look for jarred tomatoes, rather than canned. Even cans without BPA often still have a bisphenol lining or some other type of synthetic material to keep the can from corroding. Acid causes plastics to leach into the food even more, so I think it’s important to pick jarred over canned with something like tomatoes.
• Choose organic tomatoes. Tomatoes are always on the dirty dozen list of produce with the highest amounts of pesticide residue. 
• Look for organic, grass-fed butter. This will maximize flavor, nutritional benefits, help you avoid toxins, and has less of an environmental impact.

Keywords: Homemade pasta sauce, Easy homemade pasta sauce, Sugar-free pasta sauce