Wheat Free Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce
Classic marinara is one of those sauces that proves simple ingredients can be extraordinary — garlic slowly coaxed in olive oil, hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes, a handful of torn basil, and nothing unnecessary getting in the way. The key move here is tossing the cooked spaghetti directly in the sauce with a splash of starchy pasta water, which helps everything cling together into something far more cohesive than just noodles with sauce ladled on top. Choosing a certified wheat-free spaghetti is the one swap that makes this dish work for anyone avoiding wheat, and because the marinara itself is built entirely from olive oil, garlic, canned tomatoes, and fresh herbs, there's nothing hiding in the sauce to worry about. Store-bought pasta sauces can be a minefield of unexpected additives, so making your own from scratch in about 20 minutes is genuinely worth it. A finishing drizzle of good olive oil and a shower of freshly grated Parmesan (if you're using it) take the whole bowl from weeknight dinner to something you'd proudly serve to guests. It's deeply savory, a little spicy from the red pepper flakes, and bright with basil — comfort food that doesn't ask much of you but delivers every single time.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the pasta
- 12 oz spaghetti
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
For the sauce
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 can (28 oz) whole peeled san marzano tomatoes
- ½ tsp sugar
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
For serving
- 1–2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing
- parmesan cheese, freshly grated (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the kosher salt, then the spaghetti, and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente — tender with a slight resistance at the center, about 1–2 minutes less than the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining. Drain the spaghetti through a colander and set aside.
- 2
While the pasta water heats, pour the canned tomatoes into a large bowl and crush them by hand, breaking them into rough, uneven pieces. Set aside.
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