The Curvy Allergista: Tomato-Free Marinara Sauce

When I was first diagnosed with food allergies, I knew that I would have to give up certain foods. Corn chips are pretty much out of the question if you have a corn allergy, and quiches are obviously a no-no when you're allergic to eggs. However, I refuse- yes REFUSE- to give up pizza and pasta. That delicious combination of carbs and sauce and cheese...... Nope, no way am I giving that up

I am very fortunate to not be allergic to dairy, so the cheese part is easy. Oat flour works well for pizza crust, so I knew I could create a tasty crust. I am still trying to find a good pasta alternative, and have just ordered some chickpea pasta (that miraculously doesn't contain rice or corn). But the tomato sauce... how does one create tomato sauce with a tomato allergy??

There are of course alternatives to the standard pizza or pasta sauce- alfredo, olive oil and garlic, etc. and those certainly work well when the mood strikes, but sometimes you really just need a delicious marinara. So I did some research, and found an alternative- turns out other vegetables also work well to make a tasty marinara sauce- shocking I know! I looked through a few different recipes and came up with a combination that I really enjoy. This sauce is thick and smooth and delicious. It is made with pumpkin and beets, which are very mild and readily take on the flavors of the garlic, onion, and herbs you mix in, so it makes an ideal substitute for standard tomato sauce. I found it worked perfectly on my pizza, and can't wait to try it on pasta as well.

Tomato-Free Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

1 medium onion diced
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp red wine or lemon juice
1 Tbsp balsamic or red wine vinegar
1/2 cup canned or fresh roasted beets
15 oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!)
2 tsp Italian seasoning (or any combination of basil, oregano, thyme, etc. to taste)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3/4 cup broth (chicken or vegetable)
1 1/2 tsp tapioca starch (cornstarch or arrowroot powder also work) moistened with 2 Tbsp beet juice (or broth)

OPTIONAL
-Mushrooms and/or bell peppers

Instructions

-Puree the beets with a little bit of liquid until very smooth and set aside (this can be done with a blender or food processor).
-Heat oil in a large frying pan, and saute onion and garlic (you can add mushrooms and bell peppers at this point if you like) until translucent and golden, stirring frequently.
-Stir in red wine/lemon juice and vinegar, and simmer for 5 minutes, continue to stir frequently.
-Add beet puree, pumpkin puree, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
-Whisk in broth, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add more broth if the sauce seems too thick.
-Stir in tapioca starch mixture, and simmer for 1 minute.
-Adjust seasonings as needed.