Fortunately, having to miss out on tomatoes isn’t a common food intolerance or allergy. However, it does occur, and if you suffer from eczema, it may be advisable to reduce or avoid nightshade fruits and vegetables. But this isn’t a death sentence for pasta Napoli, pizza margarita or your favourite curry. All you need to do is switch to our Nomato Sauce (no(to)mato, get it? ;-)), and all these old comfort dishes will be back on your table in no time.
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I consider meals containing tomatoes to be the most delicious ones, which is why I had to find a “nomato” solution that can be used in any recipe that calls for tomatoes. And I am happy to say that this Nomato Sauce isn’t just super tasty; it has fooled my children and is an excellent opportunity to up one’s vegetable intake.
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Understanding Nightshade Sensitivities
While nightshade allergy and sensitivity aren’t very common, it is something to look into and investigate further, particularly when you suffer from eczema or arthritis outbreaks. All nightshades, including potatoes, tomatoes, capsicum, eggplant, as well as goji berries and cayenne pepper, contain glycoalkaloids, particularly solanine, which are potent natural pesticides produced by the plant.
Symptoms of nightshade reactions can include nausea, digestive discomfort, joint pain, and hives or eczema. If you suspect a nightshade allergy, avoid them for about 1-2 weeks to see if you feel better and less inflamed. Then, monitor your symptoms as you reintroduce them.
A Quick Word on FODMAPs
Experiencing digestive discomfort can have countless reasons. If you suspect a nightshade intolerance or allergy AND still don’t find relief after excluding them, please see a doctor. They can advise you whether a low FODMAP diet might be beneficial for you.
FODMAPs (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols) are short-chain carbohydrates (sugars) that are poorly digested. While this is unproblematic for most, people with sensitive guts can experience pain and discomfort as FODMAP sugars hold additional water and form gas when being fermented by our gut bacteria. This triggers oversensitive bowl nerves in IBS sufferers which is can be painful.
Nevertheless, FODMAPs are healthy (for the majority) and are found in many fruits and vegetables (like onions and apples). Doctors will often suggest short-term abstinence from foods high in FODMAPS when a patient presents with bloating, gas, abdominal pain, diarrhea or chronic constipation but no apparent root cause can be found.
To allow people who are allergic to nightshades and follow a low FODMAP diet to still enjoy tomato-style dishes and sauces, our Nomato recipe offers low FODMAP substitutions.
Why I Love This Recipe
I can empathise with everyone who misses out on a delicious family meal because of a food allergy or intolerance. My Nomato Sauce captures the essence of traditional tomato sauces. It is smooth and sweet yet slightly tangy, which makes it perfect for pasta, pizza, in curries or as a ketchup substitute.
This sauce is also a great opportunity to add more veggies to your family’s diet without anyone even noticing. Add to a curry or mix among your tomato sauce or soup and you’ve got everyone well and truly on their way to 30 different vegetables per week
Recipe Ingredients
To make our Nomato Sauce, you need the below ingredients:
- Beetroot (use fresh or canned). Beetroot gives the Nomato Sauce its vibrant red colour when combined with the orange vegetables.
- Pumpkin. This all year available vegetable gives the sauce a smooth mouthfeel, sweetness and colour.
- Carrots. Essential to our diet, carrots add structure to the sauce and provide a variety of B vitamins.
- Onions. Gently friend together with the other veggies, onions add a caramelised note to the sauce.
- Celery. This crunchy veggie adds a delicious savoury note to the Nomato Sauce.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil. You can use avocado oil instead.
- Water & Lemon Juice. Add water for consistency, and lemon juice to imitate the tanginess of tomatoes.
- Sea or Rock Salt.
Allergy Friendly Substitutions (FODMAP & Allium)
Low FODMAP Nomato Sauce
To make the Nomato Sauce FODMAP friendly, make the following adjustments:
- Instead of onion, use the dark green tops of leeks.
- Instead of celery sticks, use either celeriac or more of the dark green parts of the leek.
- Beetroots aren’t too high in FODMAPs; however, to decrease the FODMAP amount even further, use canned beetroots.
- Pumpkin becomes high in FODMAPs if you eat too much. Please do your maths; more than 75g of pumpkin is considered high in FODMAPs.
Nomato Sauce for Onion (Allium) Allergy Sufferers
Some people do not tolerate vegetables from the allium family. This includes onion, garlic, spring onions, chives and leeks. In this case:
- Substitute the onions for white cabbage or more celery sticks.
Step-by-Step Guide to Nomato Sauce & Paste
I understand some hesitation about making your own Nomato Sauce (isn’t our life already busy enough?!). Luckily though, this recipe is straightforward. And if you make it in bulk, you get several weeks’ worth of Nomato Sauce with just 15 minutes of hands-on work.
STEP 1 – Wash the vegetables, peel the pumpkin, onions and beetroots and chop into small pieces (~1cm). Or use a food processor.
STEP 2 – Heat some extra-virgin olive oil in a large pot. Add your veggie mix and gently fry the veggies until they are tender.
STEP 3 – When slightly mushy and translucent, add 2 cups (500ml) of water. Close the lid and simmer until all veggies are soft and fall apart.
STEP 4 – Once a mash consistency has been reached, add the lemon juice and puree the veggies into a smooth paste. Add salt to taste, more water for a runnier consistency, and store in glass jars in the fridge (3-5 days) or freezer (up to three months). Don’t overfill your jars if freezer to avoid the glass cracking.
Expert Tips & Common Questions
Easy. Just use less water to cook down the veggies and you’ll end up with a paste. The more water, the runnier the sauce will be.
I have found that organic beetroots tend to be more potent in their colour. Just use 20g less beetroot next time or fix it by adding some more steamed carrot or pumpkin.
I tend to triple the recipe and then store/freeze my Nomato Sauce in glass jars each weighing 400g. This gives me 6 jars each weighing the same as a can of tinned tomatoes. In our house that lasts for up to 4 weeks.
Use a plastic glove to avoid your hands turning purple when peeling and cutting beetroots. Otherwise, try cleaning your hands with a bicarb soda and lemon juice paste.
When the tomato part of the recipe is not the main ingredient, I found that I only need about 1/2 to 2/3 of Nomato Sauce instead of tinned tomatoes or tomato paste. When making Napoli sauce, pizza sauce or Nomato soup, use the paste 1:1.
Help me spread healthy deliciousness!
You being here means so much to me! I hope you like the recipe and enjoy learning a bit more about how we best fuel our bodies, no matter the dietary restriction.
Can you please do me a favour? If you like this recipe, please also try my other recipes, rate and comment. Feel free to ask me any questions in the comments. I really hope your family enjoys our Banana Bread and that you find foodamentally a great resource for your family’s food journey.
Watch how to make Nomato Sauce
Nomato (no tomato) Sauce or Paste
Equipment
- Food Processor or Blender
Ingredients
- 100 g diced onion (2 small) (use the dark green part of spring onions or leek if on FODMAP diet or cabbage if allergic to onions)
- 200 g diced pumpkin (1.5 cups)
- 200 g diced carrot (1.5 cups)
- 200 g diced beetroot (1.5 cups) (use canned beetroot if on FODMAP diet)
- 200 g diced celery sticks (1.5 cups) (use celeriac or the dark green part of leek if on FODMAP diet)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil avocado or coconut oil
- 750 ml water or broth (2.5 cups)
- 125 ml lemon juice or vinegar (1/4 cup)
- 1 tsp salt (reduce if using stock)
Video
Instructions
- Finely dice all the vegetables (100 g diced onion (2 small), 200 g diced pumpkin (1.5 cups), 200 g diced carrot (1.5 cups), 200 g diced beetroot (1.5 cups)200 g diced celery sticks (1.5 cups))100 g diced onion (2 small), 200 g diced pumpkin (1.5 cups), 200 g diced carrot (1.5 cups), 200 g diced beetroot (1.5 cups), 200 g diced celery sticks (1.5 cups), 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Heat a large pot over medium heat, add the oil (2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil) and then the diced vegetables. Gently fry the vegetables until onions turn slightly translucent and the other vegetables begin softening.
- Add the water (or stock if using; 750 ml water or broth (2.5 cups)) to the pot, close the lid and gently simmer the vegetables until tender and falling apart. You may have to add a little more water.750 ml water or broth (2.5 cups)
- Once all the vegetables are soft, add the lemon juice or vinegar (125 ml lemon juice or vinegar (1/4 cup)) and use a stick blender or food processor to puree the soft vegetables into a paste. Add salt to taste (1 tsp salt ).125 ml lemon juice or vinegar (1/4 cup), 1 tsp salt
- Store your sauce/paste in the fridge if using soon or freeze it to use at a later stage. The amount this recipe yields is about equal to two tins of chopped tomato or two jars of tomato paste.
