David calls this Awesome Sauce.
Awhile back, I thought I’d come up with an ideal (for us) nomato sauce. It’s good but requires more work and ingredients than I have energy for most nights, and I don’t have the energy to put much forethought into food prep lately. Sometimes you just get into a rut. Having to be constantly vigilant about ingredients and not being able to eat out if you want a change of pace gets really tedious.
So here is No-mato 2.0, AKA Awesome Sauce. This recipe requires a blender or food processor (we used our Nutri Ninja with the 16oz cup), but an immersion blender makes quick work of this too.
Fair warning: this sauce is nuclear-pumpkin-safety orange. It’s delicious, but I haven’t been able to make it any redder. Since I don’t care and I think it’s delicious, I’m posting my recipe.
Ingredients
- 1-12 ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained (be sure they’re gluten-free, if you’re making it gluten-free), or roast your own! You’ll need about 1.5 cups of roasted red pepper.
- 1 clove garlic or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp basil
- 1 tsp marjoram
- 1-2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1-2 tsp tamarind paste or vinegar
- 1-2 tbsp maple syrup or sugar, or equivalent sweetener (optional)
Instructions
Combine everything in a blender cup and blend until smooth. That’s it. Obviously, season to taste for acidity, sweetness, and saltiness. Makes about 1.5 cups of sauce.
Simmer in a pan to warm, or mix into freshly cooked pasta. Use for pizzas (we’ve made pizza baked potatoes and bagel pizzas with Odd Bagel) or whatever else you use marinara for.
We like tons of herbs in hours, but maybe you only like garlic and basil. Or maybe you only have pre-mixed Italian seasoning (if that’s the case, use 1-2 tablespoons). Maybe you have fresh herbs— that’s cool.
If you like and can eat onions, sauté some with the garlic first, before adding to the mix.
Sautéed mushrooms are awesome, too.
