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This recipe for sugar-free keto tomato sauce is full of flavor and can be used in so many recipes. All while only using 5 ingredients!
While tomatoes are keto-friendly, store-bought versions of tomato sauce can be full of hidden sugars, carbs and who knows what else that isn’t good for you.
This is a simple keto tomato sauce recipe that you can use in any way you like. Use this sauce on a cauliflower pizza crust, low-carb eggplant parmesan, or a keto pizza casserole.
The sauce can easily be prepared ahead, saving you time in the kitchen.
How to make keto tomato sauce
Step 1: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the garlic in the olive oil. Saute for a minute until the garlic is fragrant. Make sure the garlic doesn’t brown and become burnt.
Step 2: Turn the heat down and add the tomatoes, oregano, vinegar, and salt to the saucepan. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook for 30 – 40 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken.
Step 3: Use the sauce immediately if desired or store for later use.
Make a batch and store it!
You can use this sugar-free tomato sauce immediately if desired or it can be stored for later use. To store the sauce, allow it to cool to room temperature first. Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze the sauce after it has cooled to room temperature. Freeze in bags or a container for up to 6 weeks. Defrost before use.
Spicing it up!
Because this keto marinara sauce only uses 5 simple ingredients, it’s a great base that you can add other flavors to.
It tastes fantastic as it is, of course, but you can change the flavor profile by adding additional spices such as basil or parsley. You can also adjust the heat by adding red pepper flakes or even chopped chili peppers.
A sweet sugar-free tomato sauce?
The fact that this sauce is sugar-free doesn’t mean that it can’t be a little sweet! There are many no-carb sweeteners that you can eat on a keto diet.
I have made this sauce with a little bit of Stevia sweetener and it turned out great. Monkfruit sweetener is also a great option. Just be careful and add a little at a time as both sweeteners are quite strong.
Other healthy low-carb recipes to try
If you liked this recipe, here are some other low-carb recipes you might enjoy:
Keto Gravy
Keto Ranch Dressing
Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
You can also check out the roundup I created ofHealthy Dinner Recipes for Diabeticsfor even more great recipe ideas.
When you’ve tried this keto tomato sauce recipe, please don’t forget to let me know how you liked it and rate the recipe in the comments below!
Keto Tomato Sauce
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This is the best recipe for a keto tomato sauce that is full of flavor and can be used in so many recipes. All while only using 5 ingredients!
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the garlic in the olive oil. Saute for a minute until the garlic is fragrant. Make sure the garlic doesn’t brown and become burnt.
Turn the heat down and add the tomatoes, oregano, vinegar, and salt to the saucepan. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook for 30 – 40 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken.
Notes
You can use this tomato sauce immediately if desired or it can be stored for later use. To store the sauce, allow it to cool to room temperature first. Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze the sauce after it has cooled to room temperature. Freeze in bags or a container for up to 6 weeks. Defrost before use.
If the reason you're wanting to “sweeten” the sauce is because the tomato is too tart [highly acidic] then a pinch of baking soda should do the trick. Or if you really like your sauce sweet for the sake of sweetness, then add a carrot or bit of sweet potato while it's cooking.
The natural sugars in tomatoes themselves, such as fructose and glucose, contribute to the sauce's overall sweetness. Even in traditional home-made tomato sauce made from scratch, a little sugar is often added to balance the flavours.
What makes Rao's such a staple with the EatingWell team? Its sauce is composed of all-natural ingredients, including Italian olive oil and whole peeled tomatoes, onions, garlic, basil, oregano and black pepper, and it's made without any fillers, added sugar or tomato paste.
Once you start your sauce using the right ingredient you'll find that you will need only a smidge of sugar if any to balance the flavor. At such levels brown or raw sugar could be used or even honey.
If your jarred tomato sauce is too acidic, consider adding a pinch or two of sugar (after all, it makes the medicine go down!). Jarred sauces can sometimes make you pucker, lacking the sought-after balance of a homemade sauce.
Diluting a sweet tomato sauce will dull its sweetness, so you can add water or chicken or vegetable broth, a little at a time until the sauce tastes better. Or, if you like spicy food, you can try spicing the tomato sauce with some crushed chili flakes, which should help balance out its sweetness.
Simmer 1 cup of shredded carrots or use sweet red pepper instead of green bell pepper. Sauté the vegetables in olive oil to express the sugars before adding them to the sauce. These vegetables will add a natural, mellower sweetness to your sauce than sugar or honey.
Adding extra sugar to any dish may seem like an American thing, but according to Michael Chiarello, chef and owner of Bottega Restaurant, it's customary practice in southern Italian cuisine.
Pomi Tomato sauce has only one ingredient: Italian tomatoes. It's a perfect base for preparing any kind of sauce. It's free from added sugars or sodium. Also, this tomato sauce contains 1g of fiber – 4% of DV – per serving.
Pureed vegetables: Pureed vegetables such as cauliflower, zucchini, or squash can be mixed with tomato paste or crushed tomatoes to create a flavorful and nutrient-dense sauce. Pesto: Pesto is made from basil, garlic, pine nuts, and olive oil, which makes it a great low-calorie option.
This farmer's market-originated marinara is keto certified with only six carbs and no sugar added. It's also good for Whole30 and low-sugar dieters, coming in at only three grams of sugar per serving.
Starting with good quality tomatoes and crushing them by hand offers great flavor and texture later on. The combination of butter and oil releases fat-soluble aromatics and gives the sauce a creamy texture. Slowly cooking the sauce in the oven creates rich caramelization without burning.
Anchovy paste is considered a hidden ingredient in spaghetti sauce because most people have no idea it is in there. You do not need much, but even a small amount creates a rich, salty base. You'll find countless tomato sauce recipes that call for anchovy paste online, so the secret is out.
Use carrots instead of sugar to sweeten your pasta sauce
PopSugar agrees that carrots are a great way to add understated sweetness to your pasta sauce and recommends pulverizing them in a food processor first so they'll mix with your sauce easily.
Fruit and carrots are a very natural way to add mild sweetness, and carrots are my personal favorite for this. Peel them, dice or grate them and add them to your sauce. They can be pureed or left chunky. Fresh pears, dried apricots, currants or raisins can also be used the same way.
The author states that baking soda can be an excellent way to resolve the issue, though they don't promise it will work every single time. Rossetto Kasper recommends you try adding a small pinch of it to your sauce, stir it a few times, and taste.
Up until the early 1900s, the U.S. had a limited tomato supply, and it didn't stack up to Italian standards. It is widely held that Italian immigrants began adding sugar to their sauce to make up for the overly acidic tomatoes they were forced to work with in their new home.
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