Today, I’m sharing one of my all-time favorite alkaline recipes with you. I’m Italian, and when I started transitioning to an alkaline lifestyle, one of the biggest challenges for me was depriving myself of pasta and pasta sauce!
Looking back, I think one of the reasons why I CRAVED pasta with red sauce all the time, was because its filled with SUGAR! So one of my first missions when I became a Certified Raw Chef was to re-create the classic marinara sauce – and so this healthy but delicious marinara version was born!
And I even figured out a way for you to get an extra cup of spinach into this recipe, which is high in magnesium and other minerals, and here’s the BEST part – your kids will have NO idea!
In this recipe, we’re combining it with zucchini noodles and primavera vegetables for a satisfying dinner that has tons of flavor and texture. But you could make it your own by adding extra garlic, extra spices for some heat, removing the sun-dried tomatoes, or adding herbs.
You’re going to want to make this as often as I do!
Give it a try, snap a picture and post in on Facebook and tag me, I’d love to see what you’re making!
“PASTA” PRIMAVERA WITH DR. D’S RAW MARINARA SAUCE
‘Pasta’ Ingredients [Serves 2]
Marinara Sauce Ingredients
3 zucchinis
2 tbsp. coconut oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 carrot, sliced in thin rounds
Sea salt (Celtic Grey, Himalayan, or Redmond Real Salt)
Black pepper to taste
3 medium tomatoes
½ cup basil leaves (loose)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes
¼ cup chopped red onion
1 cup fresh spinach
2 tbsp. oregano (fresh)
1 tbsp. lemon juice, fresh squeezed
1 large clove garlic
1 tsp. sea salt (Celtic grey, Himalayan, or Redmond Real Salt)
1 tsp. black pepper
Optional: 1 tbsp. of any of the following: rosemary, sage, or tarragon
Directions: Spiralize 2 of the zucchinis using a vegetable spiralizer or make thin ribbons using a peeler. The third zucchini will be chopped and added to the primavera veggies.
Marinara Sauce:
For a smooth sauce, place all contents in blender and blend until smooth. For a ‘chunky’ sauce, set 2 of the tomatoes and the herbs aside. Blend everything else until smooth and creamy. Now place the blended sauce in a food processor. Then add the 2 tomatoes and herbs, pulse ingredients, leaving the sauce a bit chunky. Set aside.
In a large sauté pan, heat the coconut oil and sauté the onion for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the cauliflower and continue cooking for another 3 minutes. Next, add the third zucchini, red bell pepper, and carrots, and sauté for another 5 minutes. Turn the heat off and mix in desired amount of marinara sauce.
Plate the zucchini noodles and spoon the Raw Marinara sauce with mixed vegetables over the top and enjoy!
This is a variation on a recipe in my best-selling book, Get Off Your Acid: 7 Steps in 7 Days to Lose Weight, Fight Inflammation, and Reclaim Your Health and Energy. It’s got 65 delicious alkaline recipes, tips, and ideas to take you from sluggish and in pain to healthy, energetic, and slim, with ageless skin.
Here’s what my friend and beauty/wellness expert Bobbi Brown had to say about it…