Artificial Food Coloring Free Paleo Marinara Sauce
Good marinara doesn't need a long ingredient list — it needs the right ones, treated with patience. Garlic bloomed slowly in olive oil, San Marzano tomatoes simmered until they deepen to a rich brick-red, a whisper of oregano, and fresh basil torn in at the end: that's the whole story here, and it's a beautiful one. For anyone avoiding artificial dyes and synthetic additives, jarred pasta sauces can be a minefield of unnecessary colorants and preservatives hiding in plain sight on the label. This sauce sidesteps all of that by building flavor from scratch with ingredients you can actually pronounce. The slow simmer is what makes it — that 25-minute cook time transforms a bright, sharp tomato into something mellow, complex, and deeply savory. It works over zucchini noodles, spooned onto a cauliflower crust, or stirred into any dish that calls for a clean, honest tomato base. Make a big batch and refrigerate or freeze it, because once you taste it you'll want it on hand at all times.
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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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