Nomato Sauce (Non Tomato Pasta Sauce)

Who says pasta sauce has to be made with tomatoes?? Not me!! Nomato sauce, a non tomato pasta sauce made from carrots and beets differs in flavor from traditional red tomato sauce but is similar in texture to marinara sauce.

You’ll love the bright reddish-orange blend of color and taste from the beets and carrots. Better yet, you get to keep it vegan with the cheesy flavor addition of nutritional yeast.

Updated: This post was originally published in February 2022 and has been updated with new photos and additional content.

💚 Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Non tomato pasta sauce is perfect for anyone who can't eat tomatoes or following a special diet that excludes tomatoes.
• Carrots and beets are packed with nutrients!
• Makes a nice change to your basic pasta sauce!
• Works great to use in dishes just like you would a tomato based marinara sauce.
• Uses simple ingredients and is easy to make ahead for meals.

Jump to:

• 💚 Why You Will Love This Recipe
• 🤔 What is Nomato Sauce?
• 🛒 Ingredients for No Tomato Pasta Sauce
• ✅ How to Make Nomato Sauce
• 🍽️ What to Serve With Nomato Sauce
• ❄️ How to Store
• 🔪 Helpful Kitchen Tools & Gadgets
• 👩🏻‍🍳 Tips and ❓FAQs
• 🌎 Sustainability Suggestions
• More Dinner Recipes You'll Love
• 📖 Recipe
• Nomato Sauce (Non Tomato Pasta Sauce)

🤔 What is Nomato Sauce?

Nomato sauce is a general term used to refer to any sauce that's made without tomatoes. It usually refers to traditional recipes made with tomatoes such as marinara sauce or pasta sauce.

It's a great idea for anyone who can't eat tomatoes whether it's due to an allergy, a simple preference, to follow a special diet, or to avoid nightshade vegetables.

Nightshades are a group of vegetables that include tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, potatoes, tomatillos, and red spices. These veggies may increase inflammation within the body, so some people choose to avoid or limit them in their diets.

You can use this no tomato pasta sauce in just about any way you would normally use regular tomato pasta sauce, so it's great served with pasta, added to lasagna, or used in your favorite Italian recipes.

🛒 Ingredients for No Tomato Pasta Sauce

There are no real surprises when it comes to the ingredients needed to make this tomato sauce substitute. They are all relatively easy to find. Here's an overview but be sure to check the recipe card for the full list and quantities.

• Aromatics: Onion and garlic are lightly sauteed first to add lots of flavor to the base of the sauce.
• Vegetables: Celery, carrots, and beets make up the heart of this non tomato sauce. They give it flavor and the carrots and beets also give the sauce a similar color to marinara sauce.
• Seasonings: For the most part, this pasta sauce without tomatoes recipe relies on dried herbs since they're easy to find and store. You will need dried oregano, dried parsley, and garlic powder.
• Nutritional yeast: Adds some cheesy, savory flavor to pasta no tomato sauce. You can often find this in large grocery stores these days but if not try a health food store or order it online.
• Lemon juice: Use a fresh lemon for the best flavor.
• Basil leaves: You definitely want to use fresh! 

✅ How to Make Nomato Sauce

With just a few ingredients, an Instant Pot, and a blender this nomato sauce recipe takes just 30 minutes to prepare!

Don't worry if you don't have an Instant Pot because you can also make it on the stove! See the recipe card for how to make spaghetti sauce without tomatoes on the stove.

1. Select the sauté button on your Instant Pot and heat up the olive oil.
2. Sauté the onions for five minutes, until they are slightly softened.

3. Add the garlic, celery, carrots, beets, and spices and cook for additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Add the water to the pot, cover with the lid, and cook using high pressure, setting for fifteen minutes.

5. While the sauce cooks, heat water for the pasta.
6. When done, immediately release the steam. Be careful of the hot steam. Once depressurized, remove the lid and let cool the sauce cool for a few minutes.
7. Using a ladle, carefully transfer the sauce in two separate batches to a Vitamix Blender. Start on low speed and increase speed gradually. Process until desired texture. Add more water for a thinner consistency if desired. Pour the sauce into a small pot and repeat with the second batch.

8. Heat the sauce in your instant pot using the saute setting and stir in the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Adjust the seasonings to your tastes.
9. When the sauce is ready, cook the pasta and then serve up the sauce on top of the cooked pasta. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil and serve. You can also store the sauce in a jar or container to use later.

🍽️ What to Serve With Nomato Sauce

Here are some of my favorite ways to serve up tomato free pasta sauce in meals!

• Serve it with any pasta you like as stated in the recipe.
• Swap out the tomato sauce in stuffed shells or lasagna.
• Add your favorite salad as a side dish. I love this green bean salad or a butternut squash salad.
• Serve up some toasted garlic bread or crusty bread from the store.

❄️ How to Store

Leftovers or Meal Prep: Store the no tomato pasta sauce in a jar or container (separate from the pasta) in the fridge for up to five days or in the freezer for up to three months! If freezing in jars, make sure they are freezer safe!

TOP TIP: When making this recipe ahead, I often portion out the sauce into quantities needed for meals and freeze them separately. That way, when I'm ready to use it I can easily take out just the amount I need!

🔪 Helpful Kitchen Tools & Gadgets

• Instant Pot or another brand of multicooker with a high-pressure setting!
• Blender: I love my Vitamix Blender, but any quality blender will work. Just be sure not to overfill the blender and work in small batches when blending.
• Knife and Cutting Board: A well-made cutting board will protect and preserve high-quality knives.
• Jars for storing: You can purchase and use Mason jars or recycle jars from other store-bought ingredients.

👩🏻‍🍳 Tips and ❓FAQs

• Work in batches when blending the sauce. Overfilling the blender makes it more likely for accidents to happen and you burn yourself!

• Get creative with how you use spaghetti sauce without tomatoes to create meals! It works for much more than just over pasta!

🌎 Sustainability Suggestions

Root vegetables like carrots, celeriac, beets, parsnips, turnip, and potatoes are abundant in the winter months. Focusing on recipes that use seasonal ingredients is a step towards being a mindful, eco-conscious consumer.

Why does eating seasonal matter? When we are far removed from the impact of our food choices, we aren't aware of its implications on our bodies, other people, and our environment.

Eating seasonal fruits and vegetables is a simple change we can all make with our daily diet that is sustainably good for our planet. Read more on TMF's Guide to Eating Seasonal!

More Dinner Recipes You'll Love

If you made this recipe, please leave a star 🌟 rating on the recipe card right below! You can also drop a review in the comment section. Your feedback is appreciated! And don’t forget to tag @themindfulfork so we can see your creations.

📖 Recipe