This gluten-free marinara pasta sauce recipe is the perfect homemade sauce to whip up a quick dinner with your favorite gluten-free pasta.
Is pasta sauce gluten-free? Typically, yes, most jarred marinara sauces are gluten-free. You could easily buy a jar of gluten-free marinara sauce, but if you're like me; you probably haven't found one you don't add a little something to when you cook with it. Am I right?
When it comes to gluten-free pasta sauce, this one is my family's favorite. Hands down it beats any gluten-free marinara sauce you can buy at the store.
What makes this veggie marinara better?
- It's Less Expensive - You can easily make double or triple the amount of this gluten-free pasta sauce for the same price as quality store brands.
- Depth of Flavor - I am not shy about seasoning this hearty marinara sauce for plenty of Italian flavor and added ingredients you wouldn't expect but will never make without them again.
- Customization - You can customize this gluten-free sauce to your likes – tangier, less tangy, spicy, creamy, smooth, chunky. You can leave it as a vegetable marinara sauce or make it a pasta sauce with meat.
- Quick Simmer - This vegetable marinara only requires minutes to simmer on the stove, but the flavors develop the longer it goes. So it's ready when you want it to be.
Ingredients to make an easy gluten-free pasta sauce.
- Olive Oil
- Yellow Onion
- Carrots - These add sweetness without needing to add any sugar making this a sugar free tomato sauce.
- Mixed Bell Peppers
- Portobello Mushrooms
- Spinach - You can also use kale or your favorite greens.
- Crushed Tomatoes
- Tomato Paste
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Herbs and Spices
How do you make vegetable pasta sauce?
- Sauté the vegetables with the olive oil.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar and spices.
- Let it simmer.
- Add the chopped greens.
- Serve and enjoy.
How do you make this a pasta sauce with hidden vegetables?
Do you have a picky eater who won't eat their vegetables? As a mom, I totally get this. One of my favorite ways to do that is to puree this sauce before I am serving it. It's easy to do with either an immersion blender or just pop it in the blender a little at a time until you've make a pasta sauce with hidden vegetables.
The pureed vegetables will make this sauce sweet and savory, no one can resist it.
Note: You might need to add a little bit of water or stock when pureeing the sauce to help thin it out a bit as pureeing the vegetables to hide them does thicken the sauce.
How do you make this vegetable pasta sauce your own?
Add more vegetables - You can easily sneak in more vegetables if you want. I love adding in chopped zucchini and yellow squash in the summer time.
Make it a meat sauce - Add in your favorite ground meat or sausage to make this an extra hearty marinara sauce. You can make and add some homemade gluten-free meatballs to the sauce.
Like a spicy marinara? - Add more crushed red pepper to add some extra zip and make a spicy vegetable marinara.
Add some wine - Making this gluten-free marinara sauce for a special occasion? Then add about a cup of your favorite red wine into the pot. It will add even more depth of flavor.
Like it cheesy? - This is a dairy-free pasta sauce as written, but if you love cheese, feel free to sprinkle in some fresh parmesan.
How to use homemade gluten-free tomato sauce.
- This sauce makes an easy way to make a not so boring gluten-free spaghetti dinner with your favorite gluten-free spaghetti.
- How about making some baked chicken with marinara sauce and little cheese? Gluten-free chicken parmesan anyone?
- You can serve this over some gluten-free ravioli or even some gluten-free tortellini.
- It even makes the perfect sauce to add some extra veggies to a gluten-free lasagna or if I am making my million dollar spaghetti bake.
Storing and making gluten-free pasta sauce ahead of time.
Storing this vegetable marinara sauce in a sealed glass or plastic container, it will last about 3-4 days in the fridge.
Yes you can freeze marinara sauce.
1. Prepare the marinara sauce recipe according to instructions.
2. Let sauce cool completely.
3. Next, transfer the sauce into freezer-safe airtight containers or freezer bags that you plan to store them in.
4. Squeeze out any excess air, seal, and label.
5. Then freeze Marinara for up to 4 months.
When you want to use your freezer marinara sauce, let it thaw over night or gently warm it up on the stove before using it like fresh marinara sauce.
Alternate cooking methods.
Can you make this an instant pot marinara sauce or make this marinara in a crockpot? You can actually do both. This sauce really only needs to simmer for at least thirty minutes, but if you prefer to not cook it on the stove you can easily use your Instant pot or let it simmer longer in the crockpot. I do however, recommend sauteing the vegetables and any ground meat before letting it go into the slow cooker.
Who makes the best gluten-free pasta?
Now that you've got a delicious gluten-free pasta sauce recipe, you don't want to waste it on some bad gluten-free pasta. Thankfully, gluten-free pasta has come a long way in the last several years so there are a few brands that taste really good that you can buy at the store. Some of my favorite gluten-free pastas are below.
- Barilla makes a gluten-free pasta line, they also make a grain-free pasta line of chickpea and lentil pastas.
- Banza Pasta
- Jovial makes a good line of brown rice pastas.
- Ancient Harvest tends to have more of the fun shapes in the gluten-free pasta. My kids love their shells.
- Mueller's is the only brand that I have found makes a gluten-free lasagna sheet for when I don't want to make homemade pasta.
If you want more of a low carb or no carb pasta I like to make or buy frozen zucchini noodles. You can also find hearts of palm pasta at most grocery stores.
More Gluten-Free Pasta Recipes
Gluten-free Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce
Dairy-free Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce
Baked Chicken Parmesan Casserole
Buffalo Ranch Chicken Casserole
📖 Recipe
Gluten-free Marinara Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Cup Carrots small diced
- 1 Cup Onion diced
- 1 Cup Mushroom sliced
- 1 Cup Mixed Bell Peppers diced
- 2-3 Cup Spinach or Kale chopped
- 2 28 Ounce Cans Crushed Tomatoes
- ¼ Cup Tomato Paste
- 2 ½ Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
- 4 Cloves Garlic minced
- 1 Teaspoon Basil
- 1 Teaspoon Sage
- 2 Teaspoons Parsley
- 1 Teaspoon Oregano
- ½ Teaspoon Thyme
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Pepper
- ½ Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 lb Ground Beef, Turkey or meat of Choice Optional or leave out for a vegetarian sauce.
Instructions
- Cook and drain the meat if you are adding it to the vegetable marinara.1 lb Ground Beef, Turkey or meat of Choice
- In a pot, over medium heat add the olive oil, onion, carrots, mushrooms and bell peppers stirring now and then until starting to soften.2 Tablespoons Olive Oil, 1 Cup Carrots, 1 Cup Onion, 1 Cup Mushroom, 1 Cup Mixed Bell Peppers
- Add the garlic and let cook another minute or so4 Cloves Garlic
- Add the remaining ingredients besides the spinach, and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat for about 15-20 minutes.2 28 Ounce Cans Crushed Tomatoes, ¼ Cup Tomato Paste, 2 ½ Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar, 1 Teaspoon Basil, 1 Teaspoon Sage, 2 Teaspoons Parsley, 1 Teaspoon Oregano, ½ Teaspoon Thyme, 1 ½ Teaspoons Salt, 1 Teaspoon Pepper, ½ Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- Add the chopped greens and let it wilt into the sauce as it continues to simmer about another 15 minutes.2-3 Cup Spinach or Kale
- Serve warm over your chosen pasta of choice and enjoy, or let cool to store for later use.
Notes
Do you have a picky eater who won't eat their vegetables? As a mom, I totally get this. One of my favorite ways to do that is to puree this sauce before I am serving it. It's easy to do with either an immersion blender or just pop it in the blender a little at a time until you've make a pasta sauce with hidden vegetables. The pureed vegetables will make this sauce sweet and savory, no one can resist it. Note: You might need to add a little bit of water or stock when pureeing the sauce to help thin it out a bit as pureeing the vegetables to hide them does thicken the sauce. How do you make this vegetable pasta sauce your own?
Add more vegetables - You can easily sneak in more vegetables if you want. I love adding in chopped zucchini and yellow squash in the summer time. Make it a meat sauce - Add in your favorite ground meat or sausage to make this an extra hearty marinara sauce. You can make and add some homemade gluten-free meatballs to the sauce. Like a spicy marinara? - Add more crushed red pepper to add some extra zip and make a spicy vegetable marinara. Add some wine - Making this gluten-free marinara sauce for a special occasion? Then add about a cup of your favorite red wine into the pot. It will add even more depth of flavor. Like it cheesy? - This is a dairy-free pasta sauce as written, but if you love cheese, feel free to sprinkle in some fresh parmesan.
2. Let sauce cool completely.
3. Next, transfer the sauce into freezer-safe airtight containers or freezer bags that you plan to store them in.
4. Squeeze out any excess air, seal, and label.
5. Then freeze Marinara for up to 4 months. When you want to use your freezer marinara sauce, let it thaw over night or gently warm it up on the stove before using it like fresh marinara sauce.
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