Xanthan Gum Free Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce
Classic spaghetti marinara is one of those dishes that feels like a warm hug, and this version delivers every bit of that comfort with nothing unnecessary in the pot. The sauce is built from San Marzano tomatoes crushed by hand, slowly simmered with garlic, red pepper flakes, and fresh basil until it's thick, glossy, and deeply flavorful. Because the whole recipe relies on real, whole ingredients — pasta, olive oil, canned tomatoes, aromatics — there are no stabilizers, thickeners, or additives to worry about, making it a naturally clean choice for anyone avoiding xanthan gum. Many jarred sauces and even some dried pasta blends sneak in gums and binding agents, so cooking from scratch like this puts you fully in control. The trick of reserving pasta water and tossing the noodles directly in the sauce is what takes this from good to restaurant-worthy, helping everything cling together without any artificial help. A finishing drizzle of olive oil and a handful of freshly grated Parmesan pull it all together into something that tastes far more effortful than it actually is.
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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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