Everyone seems to have their favorite tomato sauce that they use on pasta, meats, or even for pizza sauce. We had one that served those purposes and was thick and tangy. One trick we used that made our marinara delicious was to add sugar to cut down on the acidity of the tomatoes. This maintained the deep red color, the thick texture, and offered less of an after taste. Now when we see restaurant reviews where people rave about the sweet sauce on the Italian dishes, we wonder how much sugar is actually added to those recipes. Our original recipe also called for a blend of spices, usually dried and a tablespoon of everything – basil, oregano, parsley, and sometimes just a blend everyone uses, called “Italian seasoning.”

Low Carb Trick

Our new low-carb lifestyle dictates the elimination of the sugar trick. In its place and to serve the same purpose, we began adding a quarter-cup of heavy cream to our sauce. It changes the vibrant red color of our normal sauce to a slightly pink color – almost like a “vodka sauce” without the alcohol. It does cut the acid taste of the tomato and it keeps the carbs down. The tomato base does add some carbs to the dish, but generally we go lightly on the sauce in our recipes.

Joanie’s sisters from Canada visit this time of year to avoid their brutal winters and enjoy our southwestern sunshine, and of course, to shop. Today, Joanie wanted a hearty lunch for them after a day of bargain hunting, so we decided on our tasty “meatloaf” – low carb, of course! We have an old favorite recipe from our recipe box for that also, but we decided on something a little different. This version will add a “tomato basil marinara sauce” both in the mix and as a topping.

José Andrés Foods Picual Extra Virgin Olive Oil…

Cento Tomato Puree, 28 Ounce

Sherpa Pink Himalayan Salt – Extra-Fine Grain…

We find that the blend of the tomato puree with the diced tomatoes will make the sauce a little chunky and thick. Blending in one-quarter cup of heavy cream to cut the acidity also adds to the thickness. If you prefer a thinner sauce then use more plain sauce and less puree. We also find that most canned tomato product today is of a very high quality in richness and flavor. Because of that, there is no need to simmer this sauce for hours; the flavors will blend together quickly. Sometimes we actually use fresh tomatoes – we boil them for a few minutes until the skin loosens and they become soft to the touch, then we use a food processor to create our own puree. Try that if you like. It will produce a thinner sauce.

The key ingredient in this Tasty Low Carb sauce is the basil. We had a couple of fresh basil plants so we decided to make that taste the center piece of our marinara! The end result is almost like a tomato basil soup, which is so popular – but our sauce is thicker, by design. We know you are going to love this sauce – try it and let us know what you think of our Tomato Basil Marinara.

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Cento Tomato Puree, 28 Ounce

Cento brand tomatoes are made with 100% vine ripe tomatoes, picked immediately to preserve taste
Premium quality

Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce – Perfect for Meatloaf or a Dipping Sauce!

Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce is perfect for topping a meatloaf – as a dip with Cheesy Bread or for making that Keto pizza! This one is delicious and so easy. A great sauce for your “Zoodle” recipes!

Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce

Recipe by Joanie and Chris

4.9 from 35 votes

Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce is perfect on top of meatloaf, as a dipping sauce, or for making that low-carb pizza – this is delicious! Easy to prepare!

Course: Sauces and DipsCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

–

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

92.6

kcal

Net Carbs

6.8

Total time

minutes

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ask about this recipe Substitutions, scaling, timing — answered from this recipe.

Ingredients

US Metric

3 tablespoons 3 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
1/2 cup 80 g onions chopped
4 cloves 4 cloves garlic chopped
28 ounces 830 ml tomato puree
15 ounces 425 ml diced tomatoes and sauce
1/4 cup 60 ml heavy cream
8 leaves 8 leaves basil chopped fine
sea salt and pepper to taste

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

Heat a large sauté pan on medium heat, then add olive oil and onions and cook for 4 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes, stir occasionally to avoid burning.
Pour in the diced tomatoes and sauce, then the puree, and the chopped basil.
Simmer for 20-30 minutes – taste to make sure basil flavor is as you desire.
Add sea salt and pepper to taste.

Equipment

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Chef’s Notes

Add an extra can of sauce to thin the recipe or use raw tomatoes boiled until mushy and then processed in a food processor.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 92.6kcal
Fat: 6.5g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Cholesterol: 6.7mg
Sodium: 24.5mg
Potassium: 371.8mg
Carbohydrates: 8.5g
Fiber: 1.7g
Sugar: 4.4g
Protein: 1.7g
Vitamin A: 2850mcg
Vitamin C: 22.3mg
Calcium: 23mg
Iron: 2mg

José Andrés Foods Picual Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 16.9 oz

Picual extra virgin olive oil gets its edge from the harsh climate of central Spain. The Picual olive produces an oil that is high in fatty acid, vigorous and fruity, with hints of green leaf, banana and mint and a slight peppery finish—perfect for sauteing fish or adding to meaty stews.

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