Perfect Pasta Sauce
Perfect Pasta Sauce – This flavorful sauce has such an incredible blend of flavors. It’s perfect over pasta, spaghetti squash, or with a big serving of meatballs!Â
It was really good.
I’ve made this sauce probably 12 times since I first cobbled together a recipe for it, and it’s become one of my go-to recipes. Sometimes, it’s a little bit different, depending on what we have on hand. Sometimes, I’ll add a handful of spinach to the sauce. Other times, a hefty pinch of red pepper flakes. But the base recipe is the same, and it’s just what I’m looking for. To us, it’s the perfect pasta sauce.
Notes on the recipe:
- OUR FAVORITE SUN-DRIED TOMATOESÂ are Jeff’s Naturals brand. They’re packed in olive oil (no sunflower, canola, or safflower oils mixed in), and all the ingredients are recognizable. Plus, the flavor is AWESOME. I buy them at Sprouts.
- IF YOU’RE NOT DAIRY FREE, feel free to use half-and-half or cream in place of the coconut milk. I don’t taste any coconut flavor, but I understand that if you’re not dairy free, you may not have coconut milk on hand.
- MAKE IT YOUR OWN. Skip the mushrooms or olives if you don’t like them. Try adding a pinch of red pepper flakes for some kick. Add some minced roasted red peppers in with the sun-dried tomatoes. You do you.
- Double up! I highly recommend making a double batch of this to store in the freezer. We eat the first half for dinner, then freeze the second half in zip-top bags laid flat in the freezer. They thaw quickly when frozen this way, which is great for last-minute dinners.
- DON’T HAVE FRESH BASIL ON HAND? If you don’t have fresh basil, you can also stir in a tablespoon (or two) of basil pesto. You can also freeze fresh basil so that you’re never in a pinch without it!
You might also like:
- Perfect Paleo Meatballs (gluten free, paleo)
- Dairy Free Basil Pesto (vegan, gluten free, paleo)
- Our Favorite Pasta Salad (gluten free, dairy free)
Perfect Pasta Sauce
- Yield: 4-5 cups sauce 1x
Description
This is a really flexible recipe. If you’re not a fan of one of the add-in ingredients (like olives, mushrooms, or sun-dried tomatoes), feel free to skip them! Likewise, feel free to add something extra, like a handful of spinach or some red pepper flakes for some kick.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 8–10oz mushrooms, sliced (I use button or baby bellas)
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, minced
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives, minced (can sub green or black olives)
- 3–4 Tbsp fresh basil, minced
- 2 (15oz) cans tomato sauce
- 3–4 Tbsp coconut milk (can sub half-and-half or cream)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- (optional: 1 handful baby spinach, a pinch of red pepper flakes, etc.)
Instructions
- In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
- Add mushrooms and cook 5-7 minutes, or until tender.
- Add garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and basil. Stir 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant and combined.
- Stir in tomato sauce and coconut milk. Add salt and pepper, to taste.