Keto Pizza Sauce Recipe (Tomato Sauce or Marinara)
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This keto pizza sauce recipe isn’t just great on your favorite fathead dough or cauliflower crust—it also doubles as a low-carb marinara sauce that’s perfect for your favorite “pasta” recipes!
Blended roasted red bell peppers and balsamic vinegar are the secret ingredients that give this sauce a subtle sweetness—making it ideal for pizza and other Italian classics like “spaghetti” puttanesca (made with zoodles instead of spaghetti noodles) or spicy “penne” alla vodka (made with yellow squash instead of penne pasta). Be sure to check out these recipes and other ideas below!
Fair warning: this recipe makes a pretty sizable batch of tomato sauce—so feel free to freeze half for use in future meals!
This sauce is delicious on more than just pizza! Give it a try with your favorite Italian recipes that call for a marinara or tomato sauce!
Keto Pizza Sauce Recipe (Tomato Sauce or Marinara)
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 8-9 cups sauce 1x
Description
Simple and delicious keto pizza sauce recipe. Use this tomato sauce for pasta recipes like spicy, creamy marinara or “pasta” puttanesca (with zoodles).
Ingredients
- 2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes (check for a low-carb brand)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 10-ounce jar roasted red bell peppers, pureed (optional)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal brand) or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
Instructions
- Sweat the onion, garlic and spices in extra virgin olive oil for 5-8 minutes or until softened and translucent.
- Blend the roasted red bell peppers until smooth (if you decide to use them) then add to the onions and garlic along with the crushed tomatoes.
- Cover and simmer for at least 15 minutes (longer is even better) then serve, refrigerate or freeze.
Notes
Net carbs: 5g per 1/2 cup serving.
This recipe makes a decent-sized batch of tomato sauce, so feel free to freeze half to save for other recipes that call for marinara sauce!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: keto pizza sauce, keto tomato sauce, keto marinara sauce
Try this sauce with these super-tender and juicy keto meatballs!
Have some sauce leftover? Lucky for you, this low-carb tomato sauce is perfect for classic “spaghetti” (zoodles) and meatballs. This keto meatball recipe is gluten free, low carb and packed with flavor! A few secret ingredients and a time-saving “hack” make these meatballs easy, tender and deliciously juicy!
Get the keto meatball recipe!
Keto Pizza with Fathead Dough
This low-carb tomato sauce is perfect on your favorite keto pizza crust or flatbread recipe (or store-bought option). I used my go-to fathead dough (recipe below) and topped it with melty mozzarella and sliced leftover meatballs.
For a crispier crust, try cooking the dough in an oiled cast iron skillet or on top of an upside down, thick-bottomed pot (using parchment paper) in the oven.
“Spaghetti” Puttanesca (with Zoodles)
Spaghetti puttanesca is an Italian classic for a reason! The balance of richness from the tomato sauce, acid from the olives and “meatiness” from the anchovies are a truly delectable flavor combination! This recipe variation uses zucchini noodles as a low-carb alternative to regular spaghetti pasta, but you could some in any type of keto-friendly noodles that you’d like.
If you’re into briny, punchy flavors, then give this quick recipe a try (the amounts below serve one person, so just scale it up if you’re serving a crowd)! It’s a completely “riffable” recipe, so feel free to leave out any ingredients you don’t like or add in extra stuff like italian sausage or baby spinach! Here’s how to make it!
STEP 1
Saute 1 chopped anchovy and ½ a clove of garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-low heat until the anchovy breaks down.
STEP 2
Add ½ a tablespoon of capers, 1 tablespoon of chopped kalamata olives and ½ a cup of tomato sauce then stir and reduce until thickened (3-5 minutes).
STEP 3
Add enough zucchini noodles to serve one person (about half a large zucchini, spiralized), toss and cook until just tender.
STEP 4
Serve immediately and garnish with chopped parsley and Parmesan (this would be perfect with a pan-fried chicken breast).“Penne” Alla Vodka (with Yellow Squash)
Okay, so this recipe doesn’t actually have vodka in it (or penne pasta for that matter), but (in my defense) most penne alla vodka recipes don’t! What this recipe does have is a perfect balance of richness and spice—thanks to the addition of Parmesan and chili flakes!
Squash “penne noodles” are the perfect alternative to traditional penne pasta. They’re quick to prep and have much more nutritional value that traditional wheat pasta. Here’s how to whip this dish up in no time (recipe below serves one person)!
STEP 1
Add ½ a cup of tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon of cream and ¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper to a pan and reduce on medium heat until thickened (3-5 minutes).
STEP 2
Add ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese and stir to melt it into the sauce—then add 1 teaspoon each of chopped parsley and basil.
STEP 3
Slice a yellow squash into quarters (lengthwise) then remove the spongy core and slice on a bias into pieces that resemble penne pasta.
STEP 4
Add the squash to the sauce and cook until just tender (3-5 minutes) then serve and garnish with more Parmesan.
Tried this on fathead pizza and it was tha bomb!
★★★★★