Almond Free Paleo Marinara Sauce
A rich, slow-simmered tomato sauce built on nothing but honest, whole ingredients — this marinara is the kind of thing that makes a simple weeknight meal feel genuinely special. San Marzano tomatoes bring a natural sweetness and depth that no jarred sauce can quite replicate, and gently blooming the garlic in olive oil before the tomatoes go in is the move that makes everything taste like it came from a real Italian kitchen. The sauce cooks down low and slow until it shifts from bright red to that deep, brick-red color that signals it's ready — thick, fragrant, and absolutely worth the wait. Fresh torn basil stirred in at the end keeps things vibrant and lifts the whole pot. For anyone navigating nut-free eating, store-bought pasta sauces can be a minefield of unexpected additives and shared-facility warnings, but every single ingredient here is clean and straightforward. It works beautifully over zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, or any pasta you love, and it stores well in the fridge or freezer for easy meals all week long.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed san marzano tomatoes
- ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- 8 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, if using, 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 turn bitter.
- 2
Pour in the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the salt, black pepper, and dried oregano.
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