Legume Free Paleo Marinara Sauce
A rich, slow-simmered tomato sauce is one of those kitchen staples that can make or break a meal, and this version delivers serious depth with just a handful of clean ingredients. Garlic is coaxed low and slow in good olive oil until it turns fragrant and golden, building a savory base before the tomatoes even hit the pan. San Marzano tomatoes bring a natural sweetness and bright acidity that no jarred sauce can quite replicate, and the long simmer transforms everything into a deeply colored, brick-red sauce that clings beautifully to whatever you pair it with. Torn fresh basil stirred in at the end keeps things vibrant and aromatic without losing that just-picked quality to the heat. For anyone navigating a legume-free lifestyle, store-bought marinara can be a minefield — some brands sneak in soy-based additives or use shared processing lines that make label-reading exhausting. This sauce is built entirely from whole, straightforward ingredients with nothing hidden in the mix. It works over zucchini noodles, spooned onto roasted vegetables, or used as a dipping sauce for whatever you've got on the table. Once you've made it from scratch, it's genuinely hard to go back.
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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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