Pasta Sauce! Need some feedback please :)

I prefer Classico® Sauces Tomato and Basil


Nutrition Facts:

Serving Size 125g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 50g
Calories from Fat 10g

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 1g 2%
Trans Fat 0g
Sodium 380mg 16%
Total Carbohydrates 9g
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 5g
Protein 2g

Vitamin A 12%
Vitamin C 4%
Calcium 4%
Iron 6%

* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.


Ingredients:

Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste), Diced Tomatoes (Tomatoes, Tomato Juice, Citric Acid, Calcium Chloride), Salt, Basil, Garlic, Olive Oil, Onions, Dehydrated Garlic, Spice.

Marinara sauce is so easy to make. Google recipes.

Marinara sauce is so easy to make. Google recipes.

Reading labels in the store works, too. Just sayin.

Make your own! It is pretty easy. You can typically by crushed tomatoes with basil, I use Muir Glen. Sautee about 1/2 an onion in a little bit of olive oil (or veggie broth) over medium low heat. Once the onion is soft, add some finely chopped garlic (2-4 cloves), and sautee for another 2 minutes (it will smell really good). Top with the crushed tomatoes and stir. You can add some dried oregano or italian seasoning. Simmer for around 30 minutes over low heat with a lid (it will be bubbling slightly). Taste for salt and pepper. You can add a bit of balsamic vinegar (about 1-2 tablespoons) to round out the flavor. It will be very tasty and easy to freeze. You can also make it spicier with crushed red pepper flakes. (around 1/4 a teaspoon. Add the red pepper flakes with the onions.) That's it. Try it out. Worst case, you waste an onion and a can of tomatoes. :P

This sauce is also a great base for lasagna or beef stew. (To use it with beef stew, add more water, simmer lean beef stew chunks. When the meat is tender add chopped carrots and potatoes. Once those are soft add green beans and peas and cook for 5 minutes. Done.) Or to make something Moroccan, skip the italian seasoning, and add cinnamon and cumin. You can add chickpeas, eggplant, squash, and bell peppers and serve it over couscous mixed with currants and parsley (add chicken or lamb too if you want meat).

Trader Joe's Organic Low Fat Reduced Sodium Marinara Sauce

50 calories for 1/2 cup - 25 mg of sodium per serving

It's really good! I couldn't tell much of a difference from regular sauce!

I like Colavita personally. I don't have the bottle in front of me to give you all the facts, but the reason that I buy it is because it is FAT and SUGAR FREE. It is truly just tomato sauce with spices...no added salt, sugar, oils, or anything else that most cans and jars of sauce have.

I spent a lot of time reading all the labels available in my store, so that's probably what you may find yourself doing if you don't make your own sauce.

Tomato Sauce

So here is a tomato sauce that works great for a pizza sauce, but equally well for a pasta sauce, or even as a soup base! Nutritional info is given for pizza sauce, but for a pasta it would serve 4 people. Works to freeze easily. The whole thing as 1 serving is only 100 calories.

Tomato Sauce
Serves: 16 (as a pizza sauce)

400 g tinned tomatoes (1 tin)
200 ml water
2 cloves garlic
2 g thyme
2 g oregano
1 pinch salt
1 cube vegetable stock
1 tablet of sweetener

Put everything except the stock cube into a blender.
Boil the sauce and add the stock cube. Continue to boil until the sauce is the desired thickness.
6 calories per serving, 0.1g F, 0g SF, 1.4g C, 0.7g S, 0.4g Fb, 0.3g P