When I was a kid, my friend and I would hang out in her mother’s garden, picking the produce and and eating every last ripe veggie there was. It’s actually one of the most vivid memories I have from growing up… The fresh smell, the crunchy sound of our steps, the popping sensation when you eat a cherry tomato right off the vine. You know what I’m talking about… when you crunch down on a tomato and you feel the guts pop in your mouth… so funny as a kid.
Unfortunately as I grew up, I realized that tomatoes are actually a HUGE trigger for my histamine intolerance. Yes, I’ll have a slice or two of pizza every now and then (it’s an addiction, OK?!) But generally I stay away from the vine veggie, which is unfortunate because pasta and sauce is one of the easiest things to make, #amiright?
So, when I discovered that sauce doesn’t have to be made from tomatoes, I just about lost my sh*t. Nomato sauce is made from beets, onions, celery and some Italian spices all blended together to make the most delicious alternative to tomato sauce.
Why Nomato Sauce is the shizz:
- Great alternative to tomato sauce
- Delicious
- Dairy free
- Histamine free
- Vegan (if you use a veggie stock)
- Sugar free
- Freezer friendly
- Veggie full
Even if you don’t have a histamine intolerance, this is such a delicious alternative to traditional pasta sauce. I’m also including my amazing, gluten free, lamb meatball recipe below, because you can’t have sauce without meatballs!
Nomato Sauce and Lamb Meatballs
Print RecipeIngredients
- 6 tbsp cooking fat (ghee, olive oil, etc.)
- 2 small yellow onions, chopped
- 4-5 ribs of celery, chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 lb of carrots, peeled and chopped
- 12 oz beets, chopped
- 1/2 tsp basil
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 16 fl oz bone broth or other cooking stock*
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 egg, whisked
- 2 tbsp cooking fat
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat 4 tbsp cooking fat in a large stock pot for 3 minutes.
Once cooking fat is hot, stir in chopped onions and celery and cook until onions are translucent.
Add in the garlic and cook for another several minutes then stir in carrots and beets.
Add in the stock and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cover pot and simmer for 30 minutes or until carrots are softened.
While sauce simmers, combine ground lamb, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, ground black pepper, whisked egg in a mixing bowl and, don't be shy, combine with your hands.
Add 2 tbsp cooking fat to a frying pan and heat for about 2 to 3 minutes.
Once cooking fat is hot, form lamb mixture into 1 inch balls and place into frying pan.
Cook on all sides for 2 minutes each. Once browned on all sides, transfer meatballs to a baking sheet and bake in oven for 6 minutes.
Remove meatballs from oven and let sit for a couple minutes.
Once sauce has simmered, fill a large bowl with cold water in your sink. Remove stock pot from heat and dip into bowl of cold water for several minutes.
Remove the bay leaves and scoop the mixture from the stock pot into a blender and blitz to your preferred consistency. You can do this in batches.
Notes
*I used Kettle and Fire Beef Bone Broth; use a veggie stock to make it vegan
Not only is the nomato sauce freezer friendly, but so are these meatballs! Just remove from the freezer and pop them in the microwave for a minute or two and voila!
xo,
L
