Alpha Gal Friendly Classic Marinara Sauce
A deeply savory, slow-simmered tomato sauce built on just a handful of honest ingredients, this marinara is the kind of recipe that makes your whole kitchen smell incredible. For anyone navigating alpha-gal syndrome, mammal-derived ingredients are the hidden enemy lurking in so many store-bought sauces — from meat-based stocks to dairy additives — but this one is entirely plant-based and safe from that concern. Extra-virgin olive oil, sliced garlic, and San Marzano tomatoes do all the heavy lifting here, with red pepper flakes adding a gentle kick and torn fresh basil finishing things off with brightness. The technique is simple but intentional: letting the garlic slowly bloom in warm oil before the tomatoes go in builds a depth of flavor that shortcuts just can't replicate. Crushing the whole peeled tomatoes directly in the pan keeps the texture rustic and satisfying — not too smooth, not too chunky. Whether you're spooning it over pasta, using it as a pizza base, or dipping crusty bread straight into the pot, this is the kind of sauce you'll want to keep on rotation all year long.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 can (28 oz) whole peeled san marzano tomatoes
- ½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ½ tsp granulated sugar (optional)
- 6 fresh basil leaves, torn
Instructions
- 1
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until it shimmers. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to turn golden at the edges, about 2–3 minutes. Watch closely — garlic can brown quickly and will turn bitter.
- 2
Pour the canned tomatoes and their juices into the pan. Using a potato masher or fork, crush the tomatoes into rough, uneven pieces directly in the pan.
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