PASTAS & SAUCES

Marinara Sauce

low carb vegan recipe

Keep a batch of this homemade tomato sauce handy in the fridge for use in pastas, lasagnas and rice dishes. Tomatoes come in various sizes, so the ingredients below provide a general guideline since it’s a good idea to experiment with different tomato varieties.

10 roma (also called ‘plum’) tomatoes
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp hot cayenne (if spiciness is desired)
1 tsp dried basil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp stevia or monk fruit
1 tbsp herbal flavored extra virgin olive oil (Tuscan, Milanese Gremolata or Provençal)
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Fresh oregano and basil (add after cooking)
1 tbsp Guar gum or xanthan gum (optional, thicken to taste)

Cooking the sauce works well in a slow cooker that has a groove for a serving spoon between the pot and the lid — slow cookers that also work as party food warmers will have this. This opening allows water to evaporate, which is critical for evaporating the water to get a thicker sauce.

If you can’t thicken the sauce this way with a slow cooker, after cooking it, you can transfer to a large pot and simmer until enough water has evaporated, or optionally, use a thickener like guar gum or xanthan gum to finish the thickening job (but just a little, so it doesn’t become puffy — no one likes puffy tomato sauce).

In a blender, liquify the roma tomatoes, and transfer to a slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients (except for the fresh herbs), stir, and cook at the low setting for 8 hours, stirring occasionally and seasoning for taste (taste test while it’s cooking).

Thicken the sauce as discussed above, if needed. You can cook on high as well (it’s very hard to overcook in a slow cooker) to speed up evaporation of the water, which thickens the sauce.

Add in the fresh basil and oregano before serving.