Seed Oil Free Paleo Marinara Sauce
Good marinara is one of those foundational recipes that can make or break a whole meal, and this version delivers the kind of deep, slow-cooked flavor that tastes like it came from a family kitchen in southern Italy. The secret is keeping things clean and simple — extra-virgin olive oil instead of the refined vegetable or seed oils that sneak into so many store-bought sauces and restaurant kitchens. Thinly sliced garlic blooms gently in that good olive oil until it's just golden at the edges, building an aromatic base before the San Marzano tomatoes ever hit the pan. A long, unhurried simmer transforms the sauce from bright and sharp to a rich, brick-red depth that no jarred version can really replicate. Dried oregano and torn fresh basil round everything out without overwhelming the tomatoes, which do most of the heavy lifting here. Whether you're spooning it over zucchini noodles, using it as a pizza base, or just dipping something into it, this sauce is endlessly versatile and completely free of the industrial oils that make so many "simple" tomato sauces anything but.
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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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