Animal-Based Pumpkin Marinara (Nightshade-Free, Paleo, AIP)

This no-cook Animal-Based Pumpkin Marinara is perfect for nightshade-free, Paleo, & AIP pasta!

Got 5 minutes to spare, my friend? You’re going to love how quickly and easily this delicious Animal-Based marinara comes together. Not to mention that it requires zero cooking – my favorite kind of recipe when I need something quick in a pinch!

Read on to grab the recipe and learn a few tips to keeping this sauce animal-based and low-toxin carnivore friendly. Be sure to check the notes in the recipe to modify it if you are on Paleo AIP and want to add a little more flavor, too.

No Tomatoes or Garlic…In Pasta Sauce…WHAT!?

Traditional marinara uses a heavy amount of onion, garlic, and tomatoes to create its bold flavors. When you’re following an Animal-Based (aka AB) diet, these are recommended as “toxic foods” to avoid. What ingredients does that leave us with when making this Italian favorite that’s low-toxin carnivore friendly?

• Pumpkin puree is going to become one of your besties on your AB journey! It is not just great for imitating the texture of tomato paste, but it also helps to thicken soups and keep baked goods moist.
  
  Be sure to grab BPA-free varieties, whether they be canned or tetra-packed. You can even make your own with this simple recipe (just avoid the seeds) if you have a bit of extra time and prefer 100% homemade ingredients!

• Balsamic vinegar adds a tang and sweetness that when combined with the pumpkin creates a flavor similar to pureed tomato. Be sure to choose organic varieties with no added ingredients.
  
  I tried other vinegars and even lemon juice instead (which all tasted just fine and dandy!), but the balsamic is where it’s at to create a more authentic and robust flavor. Trust me on this one – if you don’t have a bottle of balsamic, grab ya one for this recipe and you won’t be disappointed!

• Herbs, herbs, and more herbs!  Fresh or dried basil, oregano, and rosemary add authentic Italian flavor to this marinara. If you want to keep the sauce even lower toxin (per the Yes/No foods list in my FREE Animal-Based Beginnings Bundle), you could omit these, but your sauce will have more of a plain tomato sauce flavor versus a spaghetti sauce flavor.

• Redmond fine salt (SAVE 10% WITH CODE CAVEWOMAN) gets a low-toxin rating. This microplastic-free Utah sea salt brings up the flavors of the dish while providing you with vital minerals!

What do I serve this Animal-Based Pumpkin Marinara with?

Serve your pasta sauce over “meatzas.” These are ground meat-crust pizzas that are basically large flat burgers topped with sauce, cheese, olives, and chopped bacon! YUM!!

Try it served over cooked sweet potato starch noodles, also known as Japchae noodles! It’s also perfect drizzled atop spiralized zucchini, sweet potato, carrot, or butternut squash noodles.

Finish the Italian-inspired dish with a scoop of cooked and crumbled grass-fed ground beef and a mound of grated Parmesan cheese or crumbled feta cheese. For Paleo AIP you could use nutritional yeast instead, but for an Animal-Based diet you will most likely want to avoid the yeast.

Or use this AIP Baked Pasta recipe as a formula idea to make an Animal-Based friendly version: Simply use Japchae or spiralized, compliant produce in place of the cassava pasta, this marinara in place if the no-tomato sauce, and real shredded cheese in place of the tapioca cheese.

Want More Low-Toxin Carnivore Recipes like this Animal-Based Pumpkin Marinara?

Make these and get ahead with meal prep, my friend:

• Animal-Based Beef Mango Curry (Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, Paleo, AIP, Slow Cooker Options)

• Tallow in the Instant Pot (Animal-Based, Paleo, Carnivore, AIP)

• Carnivore Turkey Bread Loaf (Animal-Based, Paleo, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free)

• Animal-Based Banana Flour Pancakes (Carnivore, Paleo)

• Animal-Based Apricot Ketchup (Carnivore, Paleo, AIP)

Is there a recipe you’re craving on this WOE? Let me know in the comments and I’ll see if it’s something I can create for you!

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5 from 1 vote

Animal-Based Pumpkin Marinara (Nightshade-Free, Paleo, AIP)

This no-cook Animal-Based Pumpkin Marinara is perfect for nightshade-free, Paleo, & AIP pasta!

Course AIP, Soup

Cuisine AIP, Nightshade-Free

Keyword animal-based pumpkin marinara

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Equipment

• Blender

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ a 15- oz BPA-free can pumpkin puree (or 7.5 fl oz mashed, cooked homemade pumpkin)
• Fresh or dried basil, oregano, and rosemary, to taste
• Redmond’s fine salt, to taste
• Filtered or spring water to thin as desired (approx 1 to 1 ½ cup)
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, or to taste
• *For Paleo & AIP only: Add 1 tsp each garlic and onion powders

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth.
• Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.
• Heat or use at room temperature as a sauce over meatballs, crumbled ground beef, and spiralized veggies.

Notes

*Garlic and onion are not recommended if you want to keep this strict Animal-Based.

SERVING OPTIONS:

Japchae Sweet Potato Starch Noodles

Spiralized Zucchini

PRODUCTS USED IN THIS RECIPE:

Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

BPA-Free Pumpkin Puree

Balsamic Vinegar

Redmond Fine Salt (SAVE 10%! USE CODE CAVEWOMAN)