Being a runner, I tend to eat a lot of pasta, using it to build up my carbohydrate stores. Many of you may remember the Vitamix pasta sauce that I came up with a while back. Well, I’ve been experimenting a little, and finally came up with a hearty vegan marinara sauce that is delicious and full of nutrition. What’s even better, you can whip it up and be pouring it over your pasta in less than 10 minutes! The dates bring out a bit of sweetness and add potassium, making this the perfect sauce for any athlete. You can add onions, mushrooms, asparagus, or tempeh for an even heartier version.
Preparation: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Yields: 3-4 cups
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
- 6 medium tomatoes
- 2 medjool dates
- 4 or 5 fresh basil leaves (finely chopped)
- 2 sprigs fresh oregano (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (not pictured)
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
- ¼ tsp kosher salt (not pictured)
- 2 tsp Maca Powder (optional)
1. Dice up your tomatoes, dates, garlic, basil, and oregano.
2. Heat a medium sauce pan on medium to medium-high setting.
3. Once the pan is hot, dump all ingredients into the pan. It will sizzle, so be careful.
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4. Let the ingredients stew in the pan for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The longer you let it stew, the denser it will become.
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[Optional: Add nutritional yeast to thicken it up and add a cheesy flavor]
Now, pour it over your favorite whole-wheat noodles for a tasty and nutritionally satisfying meal that will keep you performing at your best. Creating your own sauce is typically cheaper than buying store brands, and leaves you without the worry of consuming foreign ingredients that may cause harm to your body.
Quick Reminder: Be very careful when choosing store bought marinara sauces. Read the ingredients label. You may be buying more than you realize. Many sauces that you will find on a store shelf contain high amounts of sodium and preservatives to give them a longer shelf-life.
Here are the ingredients in a typical brand name sauce:
Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste), Corn Syrup, Salt, Four Cheese Blend [White Cheddar, Parmesan, Romano, Provolone Cheeses (Pasteurized Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Whey, Salt, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor], Onion Powder, Dehydrated Onion, Soybean Oil, Tomato Concentrate, Carrot Fiber, Citric Acid, Spices.
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