“NoMato” Spaghetti Sauce (you can use this sauce in spaghetti, enchiladas, lasagna, pizza, etc.)

“NoMato" sauce, as the name suggests, is a tomato free marinara sauce. Since nightshades are a no-no on the IC diet, the community has gotten really creative in creating substitutes for tomato sauces. Use this sauce in spaghetti, enchiladas, lasagna, pizza, etc. spicing appropriately for the dish you're using it in. From ic-network.com. Be sure to read the NOTES below for further explanation. I also added a substitution for soy sauce for those who cannot tolerate it. 😊

Basic Sauce:
6 carrots
1 beet, small (see note below)
1 onion, quartered (see note below)
1 celery stalk, diced (see note below)
1 bay leaf, whole
1-1/2 cups water

The Flavor and Fun:
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 small onion, minced (see note below)
1 teaspoon dried basil or dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons olive oil or sesame oil
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce, miso or tamari (see note below)
2 heaping tablespoons kuzu or cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water

For meaty texture add:
1 cup mushrooms, sauteed


Directions:

1. Place Basic Sauce ingredients in a pot and boil, covered, for 30 minutes. (Or, place in a pressure cooker, bring to pressure and simmer 20 minutes.) Puree in a blender. Add water, if needed, until mixture has tomato sauce texture.
2. Saute garlic, onions, and herbs for 5 minutes in olive oil. Add parsley, mushrooms if desired, and saute 10 minutes more.
3. Add Basic Sauce and bring to a boil. Then, cover and simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors. Season with salt or coconut aminos to taste.
4. Place kuzu or cornstarch in a small container and add water slowly while stirring. Stir until thoroughly dissolved in all the water. Add to sauce while it cooks, stirring until thickened.

Notes: You can use 6 cups cooked butternut squash instead of carrots to make the sauce more orange and sweeter. Her recipe calls for miso or tamari soy sauce, but you can substitute 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt if soy sauce bothers your bladder. (*My Tip: You can use coconut aminos if tolerated and without problem ingredients)

About onions: We all have differing levels of sensitivity to onions. For some people, simply cooking them as Ruth’s recipe indicates is sufficient to keep them from causing a symptom flare. For those who are slightly more sensitive, all the onions may have to be chopped and sauteed until translucent in oil or margarine before adding to the recipe. Another alternative is to substitute chives (which are milder) for the onions. For those who are most sensitive to onions, leave out the onions altogether or, leave out the onions and the soy sauce but use 1-1/2 tsp. onion salt in place of the soy sauce.