Sugar-Free Spaghetti Sauce: Homemade and Allergy-Friendly

My Sugar-Free Spaghetti Sauce is a hearty recipe that can win even the pickiest eaters over. You’re going to love this zesty, homemade sauce made with the freshest ingredients, including tomatoes, red wine, and of course, essential oils.

Suppose you’re feeling adventurous; try my meat pasta sauce variation. You’ve never had pasta night like this before! Layer the sauce with decadent pasta, or use zucchini noodles for an extra dose of veggies.

Reasons to Eat Tomatoes

One of the main ingredients in this recipe is tomatoes. Tomatoes are a must-have in any kitchen. They’re versatile and can be used in Mexican, American, and Italian dishes. I grow tomatoes in my garden, and my return on investment is high every year!

Tomatoes aren’t just delicious, though. They’re full of many fantastic health benefits. The list could go on and on, but here are a few of my favorite things tomatoes bring to the table.

Tomatoes Can Improve Cardiovascular Health

This one should be easy to remember: red tomatoes improve heart health! It turns out that lycopene, the compound responsible for a tomato’s hue, can promote better heart health. Studies show that skimping on your lycopene consumption can lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. (1)

Lycopene can also help reduce oxidative stress, which is another factor that contributes to heart problems and is brought on by several factors, including the presence of free radicals. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death across the board, and we must use the gifts God gave us to fight back. (2)

Tomatoes Can Boost Your Eye Health

Our society is technologically advanced, and while this provides us with many benefits, it also causes a lot of strain on the eyes. If you’re one of the many people who spend hours in front of blue-light screens every day, you may want to listen up.

Tomatoes are full of vitamin A, which your retinas need to function correctly. (3) Lycopene, which we already know promotes heart health, can also reduce your risk of macular degenerative eye disease. (4) What a tasty reason to eat Italian food!

Tomatoes Can Beautify Your Skin

One little-known fact about tomatoes is that they can help you look your best. One study showed that ingesting tomato paste with olive oil helped prevent skin damage and boosted collagen.(5) Another win for lycopene!

The antioxidants in lycopene attack free radicals that can prematurely age the skin and cause stress to cells. No matter how clean your environment is, you can’t totally eliminate free radicals. Including bioactive foods, however, can help reduce their effects.

Spaghetti Sauce Ingredient 101

You may be surprised to learn that our homemade spaghetti sauce recipe doesn’t require a ton of secret ingredients. In fact, a couple of these simple ingredients come in a can! Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need to add to your grocery shopping ingredient list.

Organic Onion: I love the smell of sizzling onion! This ingredient adds bulk to your sauce and flavor to your plate. Onions are part of the Allium genus, and studies have shown that people who eat more veggies in this category are less likely to get gastric cancer. (6) Whether you prefer white onions or yellow onions, the fresh addition adds a delicious flavor to my no-sugar pasta sauce.

Organic Garlic Cloves: A little fresh garlic makes everything taste better. Back in the day, garlic used to be a cure-all. I’m sure your grandparents have touted its benefits! It turns out they were onto something. Vital ingredients in garlic cloves can boost the immune system.(7)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Did you know that not all olive oils are created equal? It’s true! Many oils on the market are so adulterated that they don’t even resemble the real deal nutritionally. Always be sure to get the best olive oil you can, and stick with extra virgin. It contains the best omega-3s!

Organic Tomatoes: Using canned produce creates an extra juicy tomato sauce. Healthy shortcuts are a fantastic tool for any chef! In this recipe, I use a combination of jarred Roma tomatoes and Italian tomatoes for a burst of flavor. If your garden is productive, you can use fresh tomatoes.

Biodynamic Red Wine: Adding red wine to your sauces can bring out the flavor of olive oil! Many people misunderstand the safety of adding wine to their culinary creations, but cooking it for as long as we do in this recipe (about 60 minutes!) evaporates all of the alcohol.

Organic Sweetener: Many store-bought sauces are loaded with preservatives and sugar. Sweetener is a beautiful addition to pasta sauces because it helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes. In this recipe, we use maple syrup to add a hint of sweet taste to the tomato sauce. You can use liquid stevia if you prefer a sugar-free option.

Essential Oils: We use Italian-themed essential oils to amp up the health benefits and add an extra dose of flavor to this recipe. This is where we differ greatly from traditional spaghetti sauce to enhance flavor and health!

Safety Note: Essential oils are safe to ingest; you just need to use wisdom! Whenever you add an EO to a recipe, you also need to add a dispersant. In this recipe, olive oil ensures our essential oils are distributed evenly. Without them, your mouth would get irritated. Remember: You never want to ingest any essential oil neat!

Organic Herbs: Fresh herbs take my healthy spaghetti sauce to a whole different dimension of fresh flavor! Basil, oregano, thyme, and parsley create one unique, aromatic dish. If you don’t have access to fresh herbs, you can always use dried ones.

Pink Himalayan Salt or Sea Salt: Traditional table salt is stripped of most health benefits due to rigorous processing. We love using Colima sea salt because it’s hand-harvested, leaving it as God intended.

Gluten-Free Brown Rice Pasta: Breaking news, pasta can be healthy too! We recommend using organic almond flour or brown rice spaghetti noodles to get your pasta fix. You can also use organic zoodles (spiralized zucchini) as a purist option.

We’ve also substituted organic baby spinach, spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, or even broccoli for noodles with great success. Always try to stay away from gluten-free pasta made with soy or corn.

Make Mama Z’s Sugar-Free Spaghetti Sauce

I love how hands-off this recipe is! This recipe requires just 20 minutes of prep. You need to set aside time to let the sauce simmer, giving it the best flavor.

5 from 2 votes

Mama Z’s Spaghetti Sauce (Vegan) with Meat Lovers Options

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Author: Mama Z

Supplies

• Large Pot
• Immersion blender

Ingredients

Sauce

• 1 medium organic onion chopped OR ½ tablespoon organic dried minced onion
• 2 medium organic garlic cloves , pressed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil PLUS more as needed
• 1 (28-ounce) can OR jar organic Roma tomatoes OR puree
• 1 (28-ounce) can OR jar organic Italian-seasoned OR fire-roasted tomatoes OR puree
• 1 (6-8-ounce) can organic tomato paste *
• 1 cup biodynamic red wine OR Mirin
• 2 tablespoons Grade A Dark Amber maple syrup, organic **
• 2 large organic carrots OR a handful of organic baby carrots, AND/OR ½ large organic beet
• 1 drop basil essential oil (optional)***
• 1 drop oregano essential oil (optional)
• 1 drop thyme essential oil (optional)
• 1 drop parsley essential oil (optional)
• 1 large organic bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt OR sea salt, ground
• ½ teaspoon organic white pepper , ground
• 1½ tablespoons chopped fresh organic basil OR ½ tablespoon dried
• 1½ tablespoons chopped fresh organic oregano OR ½ tablespoon dried
• 1½ tablespoons chopped fresh organic parsley OR ½ tablespoon dried
• 1½ tablespoons chopped fresh organic thyme OR ½ tablespoon dried

Pasta

• 1 (16-ounce) package fresh, dried, OR frozen almond-flour spaghetti OR brown rice spaghetti OR zoodles (spiralized zucchini), seeded if large ****
• 1 pound fresh organic baby spinach, rinsed and spun dry (optional)

Instructions

For the sauce:

• In a large pot over low heat, sautè the onion and garlic in the olive oil. When the vegetables are lightly browned, add the Roma and seasoned tomatoes, tomato paste, and red wine and stir to combine. Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce to the desired consistency (omit this step if you prefer a chunky sauce).
• Bring the sauce to a low boil over medium heat and cook, stirring every 15 minutes, until the alcohol from the wine has evaporated, eliminating any acidity, about 60 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and add the maple syrup, carrots, essential oils, bay leaf, sea salt, white pepper, dried basil, oregano, parsley, and thyme. (If you are using fresh herbs, hold off and add them 10 minutes before the sauce is done.) Let the sauce simmer for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours for the most robust flavor. Cover and set aside.

For the pasta:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, adding a little sea salt. Add the spaghetti and a little olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking. Cook the minimum time indicated on the package. Remove from the heat, let the spaghetti sit for a few more minutes, and then drain it in a colander. Return the spaghetti to the empty pot with a little more olive oil to prevent it from sticking. (If you’re using zoodles, cook them for 2 minutes in boiling water and drain immediately.)
• To serve, remove the bay leaf from the sauce and discard. Place a portion of pasta on each plate, followed by a large handful of spinach, if using, and ladle the sauce over it. Alternatively, serve the sauce over a bed of fresh greens or spiralized raw zucchini or with a fresh side salad.
• To store leftovers, mix plenty of sauce with the pasta and top it with extra sauce. To serve, preheat the oven to 325℉ and cook, covered, for 15-30 minutes. Or refrigerate the sauce for up to a week or freeze it for up to a month to make Mama Z’s Lasagna another time.

Meat Lovers Variation

• Mix 1 pound 100% grass-fed organic ground beef (pastured) or free-range ground turkey with onions and garlic cook on the stovetop until browned.  Add to the sauce.  You can also brown the meat with all of the herbs for extra flavor.  Sometimes, I’ll serve this recipe with my Cocktail Meatballs, served separately.

Notes

*If the sauce doesn’t thicken up quickly enough, add another can of tomato paste to speed things along. 

**If you want a sugar-free option, use 2 droppersful plain liquid stevia. 

***Essential oils are optional but recommended as they enrich the recipe and make it even better. 

****If you want a grain-free option, use frozen almond flour spaghetti, konjac noodles, or zucchini noodles. If you can find fresh almond flour pasta or brown rice pasta, this is also a great option. Republic of Pasta sells both fresh and frozen pasta at Whole Foods in the chilled and frozen food aisles.  These noodles provide a great consistency. DeBoles is another option we love. Avoid gluten-free products made from corn or soy. 

Meat Lovers Variation 

Mix 1 pound 100% grass-fed organic ground beef (pastured) or organic and free range ground turkey with onions and garlic, then cook on the stovetop until browned. Add to the sauce. You can also brown the meat with all of the herbs for extra flavor. Sometimes, I’ll serve this recipe with my Cocktail Meatballs, served separately.

Step One: Sautè the Onions and Garlic

In a large pot over low heat, sautè the onion and garlic in the olive oil. When the vegetables are lightly browned, add the Roma and seasoned tomatoes, tomato paste, and red wine and stir to combine. Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce to the desired consistency (omit this step if you prefer a chunky sauce).

Step Two: Add Essential Oils

Bring the sauce to a low boil over medium heat and cook, stirring every 15 minutes, until the alcohol from the wine has evaporated, eliminating any acidity, about 60 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and add the maple syrup, carrots, essential oils,  bay leaf, sea salt, white pepper, dried basil, oregano, parsley, and thyme.  (If you are using fresh herbs, hold off and add them 10 minutes before the sauce is done.) Let the sauce simmer for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours for the most robust flavor.  Cover and set aside.

Step Three: Prepare the Pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, adding a little sea salt. Add the spaghetti and a little olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking. Cook the minimum time indicated on the package. Remove from the heat, let the spaghetti sit for a few more minutes, and then drain it in a colander. Return the spaghetti to the empty pot with a little more olive oil to prevent it from sticking. (If you’re using zoodles, cook them for 2 minutes  in boiling water and drain immediately.)

Step Four: Serve Mama Z’s Sugar-Free Spaghetti Sauce and Store Leftovers

To serve, remove the bay leaf from the sauce and discard. Place a portion of pasta on each plate, followed by a large handful of spinach, if using, and ladle the sauce over it. Alternatively, serve the sauce over a bed of fresh greens or spiralized raw zucchini or with a fresh side salad. 

To store leftovers, mix plenty of sauce with the pasta and top it with extra sauce. To serve, preheat the oven to 325°F and cook, covered, for 15-30 minutes. Or refrigerate the sauce for up to a week or freeze it for up to a month to make Mama Z’s Lasagna another time.

Meat Sauce Variation:

Mix 1 pound 100% grass-fed organic ground beef (pastured) or organic and free range ground turkey with onions and garlic, then cook on the stovetop until browned.  Add to the sauce. You can also brown the meat with all of the herbs for extra flavor.  Sometimes, I’ll serve this recipe with my Cocktail Meatballs, served separately.

Italian food is the best, but often it’s filled with gluten and sugar. I’ve spent years perfecting healthy Italian recipes that taste delicious and authentic. Who said you have to give up your favorite foods to be healthy?

I’m giving you an inside look at how I make my top 3 most popular recipes in my exclusive Gluten-Free Italian Cooking Class, part of the Bible Health Academy. You’ll walk away with the confidence to create wonderful, nutritious meals that your family will love!

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