Perfect spaghetti sauce starts with tangy lectin free tomato sauce, shallots, garlic, plenty of olive oil and a secret herb that says, "That's Italian!" Get the recipe.
Spaghetti night rings loud and clear in our house. Everyone's in. Tangy, savory, meaty sauce over tender "to the tooth" noodles just hits the spot. Since going lectin free in 2018, spaghetti night has seen its challenges. I'll show you how to make the easiest and most perfect lectin free tomato sauce, and we'll talk about the best compliant pasta options that cook up al dente.
The perfect sauce starts with lectin free tomato sauce. Wait! Tomatoes are on Dr. Gundry's "NO" list, aren't they? Sort of. If you peel and seed tomatoes, they are back on the yes of phase 3 Plant Paradox. The polyphenols in tomatoes have tremendous health benefits that can't be overlooked. Particularly, lycopene is a red pigment polyphenol linked to prevention of heart disease and certain cancers.
Fortunately, it's super easy to find tomato products that already have the skins and seeds removed. We have several options. I like Pomi brand in the red carton. Only the "strained" tomatoes product is Plant Paradox compliant. So don't make the mistake of buying the other products like chopped tomatoes or tomato sauce. The others have skins and seeds. Only Pomi strained tomatoes have the skins and seeds strained out. Find Pomi at your grocer or on Amazon. I buy the organic variety from Amazon in 12 packs. It's the best deal:
Another great brand is Bionaturae, which is crafted in Italy. Their strained tomatoes come in a glass jar and readily available at most healthy grocers. Natural Grocers and Sprouts both carry it, as does Whole Foods.
Finding the right pasta is key to pleasing the pickiest palates on spaghetti night. To get total buy in from all family members, whether they're eating lectin free or not, the pasta can't be mushy or taste weird. Two of the best options are pastas made from either millet or sorghum. Look for one-ingredient pastas, meaning the only ingredient is millet flour or sorghum flour. And organic is best. The two brands that do pasta right are Big Green Organic and Gundry MD. Big Green Organic offers several options in their organic millet and organic sorghum pastas. Both varieties come in penne, macaroni, rotini and capellini. I used Big Green pastas in all my pasta kits that I sell in my online store. I absolutely love these pastas.
One side note: be careful not to select the angel hair millet pasta from Big Green, as it has more than one ingredient and is not compliant.
Another great lectin free pasta option is Gundry MD organic sorghum spaghetti. It is terrific. The 100% sorghum pasta comes from organically grown sorghum and cooks up al dente every time. I used this pasta for the recipe. But really, any of the options I've mentioned will serve as an excellent bed for the sauce.
Score a great deal on Gundry MD sorghum spaghetti with my ambassador discount. Just use my link to access the Gundry MD site at bit.ly/LFGgundry and shop the food section. You'll save more than $2.00 per box when you buy 3 or more.
Now, the last thing I want to discuss is fennel. It's the secret ingredient that MAKES the sauce. Don't skip the fennel. Find ground fennel if you can. If fennel seeds are all that's available, run them through a grinder or crush them in a granite mortise and pestle to get a powder form that easily incorporates into the sauce. Fennel makes the meat taste like sweet Italian sausage.
Okay, are you ready to make LFG superb spaghetti sauce? Let's go!
The Recipe
LFG Spaghetti Sauce
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Shallot (peeled and diced)
2 Garlic Cloves (peeled and minced)
1 lb 100% Grassfed Ground Beef
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 tsp Ground Fennel
(1) 750 g Carton Pomi Strained Tomatoes
Step 1: Sauté Shallots and Garlic
In a deep skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add diced shallots and sauté to a golden color. Add minced garlic at the very end of the sauté as garlic burns quickly. After adding garlic, move on to step 2.
Step 2: Brown and Season Beef
To the sauteed shallots and garlic, add the ground beef. Cook until completely browned, while breaking it into bite sized morsels with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Once the meat is browned, sprinkle the salt, Italian seasoning and ground fennel all over the meat. Give it a final stir before the next step.
Step 3: Add Tomatoes
To the seasoned meat mixture, add the entire carton of strained tomatoes. Reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes until heated throughout.
Pour sauce over cooked pasta. Top with real Italian shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano. Garnish with fresh basil, parsley, and oregano. Serve with a slice of grilled LFG focaccia and a dressed arugula rocket salad.
Pair this dish with a high-altitude Argentinian Malbec. ENJOY!