Mmmmm, Italian food. Such wonderful aromas, tastes and that darkly lit ambiance to enjoy in a nice little Italian joint. Pasta with marinara, pizza with a nice red sauce, meatball sandwich with tomato sauce; all such delicious comfort foods. But tomato sauce, and more specifically tomatoes, can actually cause discomfort in many folks.
Tomatoes are part of a select group of foods known as nightshades. Nightshades contain an alkaloid called solanine. Other members of the nightshades are; peppers of every kind, eggplant, white potatoes, cayenne pepper and paprika.
Not everyone has an intolerance to nightshades, but many people with arthritis or joint inflammation have an inflammatory response to them. By avoiding nightshades, they often find relief in their symptoms.
But back to that lovely marinara sauce. What to do when you simply must have a nice spaghetti and meatballs with a wonderful marinara sauce? The answer is a delicious; Zoodles and Nomato sauce with Grass-Fed Meatballs! So, dim the lights, put on some Dean or Frank and pour yourself a nice glass of kombucha. This nomato sauce will take you right to your favorite Italian restaurant, without all the pain and discomfort later.
Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
3 carrots chopped
3 stalks celery chopped
1 beet roasted and chopped
2 cups cubed butternut squash or 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree
2 ½ cups beef bone broth (or water if preferred)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
1 ½ tsp sea salt
8-10 pitted kalamata olives
Juice of one lemon
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Instructions
In large pot cook onion in olive oil until close to caramelizing
Add garlic and stir for 1 minute (careful not to burn)
Add salt and dried spices and cook for 5 minutes to develop flavors
Add carrots, celery, beet and squash. Cook for 5 minutes
Add bone broth, olives and lemon juice, cover and cook for 30 to 35 minutes until all flavors have melded and veggies have cooked through
Let cool somewhat and blend with an immersion blender or in a food processor until smooth
Serve over zoodles with Italian meatballs or with mini portabella mushroom bites
Store in refrigerator for 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months