I may receive a commission if you purchase something mentioned in this post. See more details here.
One of the things that made me saddest about discovering a sensitivity to tomatoes was the idea of no more spaghetti or pizza. Well, I can still have them, but I don’t want to always rely on cream sauces for my fix. As I started to look for recipes that did not have nightshades in them, I came across a concept called Nomato Sauce – or a marinara sauce without tomatoes. I just had to try it, but I didn’t want to spend money on the product and I wasn’t crazy about any particular recipe I found. So instead, I combined the recipes, read the reviews, and added in my personal tastes to make my own version. The best part? This recipe is 100% AIP-friendly and is safe for Stage Three of GAPS Intro.
Know that this does not taste like tomato sauce. I am sorry. I wish it did, but it does not. However, it does have a similar texture and spice profile. It tastes good. It can be used as a replacement for tomato sauce in any recipe as long as you keep that in mind. You may find it a bit bland; I was looking for something neutral that can be doctored for the recipe and tastes of consumer. For example, I liked it just fine on my pizza, while Will added many herbs and spices. For my AIP Spaghetti and Meatballs (which is to die for!), I like to add extra garlic and oregano. The basic idea behind this can also be used to make ketchup, barbeque sauces, and many other foods that traditionally use tomatoes.
Now, on to the recipe:
Nomato Sauce
Makes about 3 1/2 cups.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp cooking fat of choice (lard, ghee, butter, olive oil, coconut oil, etc.)
1 large onion (or 2 small)
3 ribs celery
3 cloves garlic
6 carrots, peeled
1 medium beet, peeled
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup fresh basil
Salt to taste
Instructions
- Chop all the vegetables, including the basil.
- Heat oil in a 6-quart pot. Saute the onions and celery for about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and saute another minute.
- Add carrots and beets, stir everything together, then add the water and bay leaf. Salt and other dried spices may also be added if desired.
- Simmer covered for about 25 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Stir occasionally.
- Add chopped basil and cook another 5 minutes.
- Remove bay leaf and puree sauce in a blender until desired consistency.
- Serve, refrigerate up to a week, or freeze until ready to use. Can be used on pizza, pasta, chili, or any other place you would use tomato sauce. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp cooking fat of choice (lard, ghee, butter, olive oil, coconut oil, etc.)
- 1 large onion (or 2 small)
- 3 ribs celery
- 3 cloves garlic
- 6 carrots, peeled
- 1 medium beet, peeled
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Chop all the vegetables, including the basil.
- Heat oil in a 6-quart pot. Saute the onions and celery for about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and saute another minute.
- Add carrots and beets, stir everything together, then add the water and bay leaf. Salt and other dried spices may also be added if desired.
- Simmer covered for about 25 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Stir occasionally.
- Add chopped basil and cook another 5 minutes.
- Remove bay leaf and puree sauce in a blender until desired consistency.
- Serve, refrigerate up to a week, or freeze until ready to use. Can be used on pizza, pasta, chili, or any other place you would use tomato sauce. Enjoy!

Shared on Wildcrafting Wednesday and Paleo AIP Recipe Roundtable.
Like what you see? Please support this blog and help me keep it running by signing up for my newsletter, purchasing products, or donating through the links below:
DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. The information contained in this post is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, it is provided for educational purposes only. You assume full responsibility for how you choose to use this information. For more information, click here.
This is wonderful! I miss tomatoes so much and will be giving this a try for sure!
Yep, that’s exactly why I came up with it. Every batch I make, I grow more and more in love with it! Enjoy!
That’s so cool! Never considered a marina sauce without tomatoes! 🙂
This sounds really exciting to make ~ We will definitely try this on on our next at home “date night” 🙂
This recipe looks delicious AND it fits the paleo autoimmune protocol (a rare thing). So, thank you! I recently started a weekly Paleo AIP Recipe Roundtable through my blog, and I would love it if you linked up this recipe. I’m trying to expand resources for the AIP community. Here’s the link: http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2014/03/26/paleo-aip-recipe-roundtable-20/
I definitely will! Thank you for sharing that amazing resource!
This looks sooooo good! I’ve been looking for a great tomato sauce sub. I’m pinning this! Thanks so much….found you through Eileen at Phoenix Helix! I’m subscribing to your wonderful blog. 🙂
Thank you!
I just had this nomato sauce on pasta with turkey ham chunks. It is a wonderful tomato sauce substitute. It has now instantly become one of my staples. I don’t own a blender probably because I like chunky sauces so I just used a potato masher. Turned out great!!
Wonderful! I’m so glad to hear you like it!
This is so cool! Tomatoes are not my friend! Thanks!
I haven’t tried it yet so probably I have no business commenting, but since I’m a pretty experienced cook my suggestion would be to add a splash of something acidic like a glug of red wine, or a small amount of red wine vinegar during cooking (or even lemon juice if the above are not tolerated). It will give it a bit of zip and balance, and be slightly more reminiscent of tomato sauce.
Thanks for the suggestion. I love it just the way it is, but my husband does add a bit of acid at times.
I have made a sauce similar to this, but with lemon juice, oregano and other Italian spices, (personally I don’t think little cayenne or red pepper flakes hurt) and fresh sweet peppers. I have served it to people who swore it must have tomatoes, they could not tell it was tomato free.
That’s great! I’m sure the pepper helps with the flavor, but I can’t have any nightshades, so I have to leave that out.
I use lemon juice and balsamic vinegar with Italian spices
I also use a can of puréed pumpkin
I just made this for the first time, and I thought it was delicious! I cannot tolerate tomatoes so this is great substitute. I can’t wait to try it our with some recipes. I also added fresh oregano from my garden.
Glad to hear you liked it! Fresh oregano sounds like a great addition.
I haven’t tried this recipe yet because I have EVEN MORE I need to leave out. Nightshades+FODMAPs are both an issue but it’s REALLY hard to recreate the good stuff without them sometimes. Has anyone tried this without the onion and garlic? I’m sure it’s even further from reminiscent of tomato sauce…ideas please!
I’ve never tried it without, but you could up the herbs, use a garlic-infused oil, and I think green onion are low-FODMAP. You might be able to get close!
Is there anything I can substitute in place of the beet?
Thx for this nomato recipe. It was the closest version I could find to what I used to order at Angelica Kitchen, a macrobiotic restaurant I used to frequent near me in NYC East Village in the 80s and 90s. Your recipe was close but still too sweet compared to the Angelica’s…but your recipe was the closest I’ve found. Cheers
So glad to hear you like it!
I make this sauce all the time for my kids and I. One of my sons can’t have any nightshades and so this has been the perfect replacement for us. I use it for sloppy joes, pizza sauce, just about everything. I double it and freeze some so that way I can always have some on hand. Thank you so much!
So glad your family is enjoying it!