Easy Gluten Free Pasta Sauce

Name: The Best Gluten Free Pasta Sauce Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 large onion (chopped); 1 bell pepper (chopped); 1/2 pound lean ground beef; 3-4 medium spice chicken sausage (chopped); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 2 cans tomato sauce; 1 can plain unsalted diced tomatoes; 1 small can tomato paste; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red peppers; 1 teaspoon basil; 1/2 teaspoon oregano; 3 slices bacon (cooked and patted with paper towel to remove extra grease. Chop); 1/3 cup red bell pepper (chopped)

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Serve up this savory gluten free pasta sauce with your favorite pasta. Your whole family will love this simple pasta with meat sauce recipe.

a big bowl filled with ziti with gluten free pasta sauce

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What is the best gluten free pasta brand?
How to season spaghetti sauce?
How to make gluten free pasta sauce:
How to cook gluten free pasta the right way:
Tips and Recipe FAQ:
More Delicious Gluten Free Pasta Recipes:
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💬 Comments

When my son is in yet another growth spurt, and he loves meat. All types of meat, and he is not picky. I am not judging, but sometimes it can be startling! He is now way taller than me :-).

When he asked me if I could make pasta this week, I wanted it to have a lot of protein. This family-favorite sauce has lean ground beef, but it also has medium-spice chicken sausage and bacon. The optional bacon gives this sauce a slightly smokey flavor, making it hard to resist.

You will love how easy it is to cook spaghetti with ground beef! We used gluten free ziti noodles in this post, but this sauce works beautifully with spaghetti or even macaroni!

Full of flavor and three different types of meat, the flavor depth of this sauce will please even your pickiest eater! This gluten free spaghetti sauce is sure to please!

If you are looking for dinner ideas, you will want to check out all of my gluten free dinner recipes. Dip these crusty gluten free breadsticks in! They are perfect for dipping!

What is the best gluten free pasta brand?

Oh gosh, this is a tough question. There are so many good gluten free pasta brands out there. Some of our favorites are:

Trader Joe's fresh gluten free pasta
Barilla
Ronzoni
BioNatura
Jovial

How to season spaghetti sauce?

Ground beef seasoning for spaghetti sauce is easy. I like to use fresh herbs, and I even have a basil plant now growing in my kitchen window, so I can snip off leaves anytime. I use:

Basil
Garlic
Oregano
Crushed red peppers
Salt and pepper

This meat sauce recipe with ground beef will be a big hit in your house!

How to make gluten free pasta sauce:

Step 1: In a pot, add the minced garlic brown ground beef, and sausage. Also, add bacon and red peppers if you choose to use those optional ingredients. Cook on medium heat until browned.

Step 2: Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, basil, oregano, and salt. Add ground black pepper to taste. I prefer to use fresh herbs, but you can use dried herbs if you prefer.

Step 3: Cover the sauce and simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes.

Step 4: Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Cook according to package directions. Every brand of gluten free pasta has a different cooking time, so use the cooking time listed on the package of your pasta.

Step 5: Drain the pasta into a colander. Follow the steps below to give an ice bath to stop cooking. Top with the pasta sauce!

Make these Gluten Free Garlic Knots dip into the sauce!

How to cook gluten free pasta the right way:

The biggest challenge with gluten free pasta is how to cook gluten free pasta without it turning to mush. I had the good fortune to interview a chef at an Italian restaurant here, and she gave me the secret. An ice bath. The ice bath halts the cooking so that it doesn't continue to cook in the colander.

Read directions on how to do a pasta ice bath and all of the story. This method is a GAME CHANGER for cooking gluten free pasta. (There is also a delicious marinara sauce recipe to check out!)

Serve the sauce over the pasta. You can use gluten free spaghetti, ziti, rigatoni, bow tie, or any shape of gluten free pasta!

Tips and Recipe FAQ:

Is there gluten in tomato paste?

I have never seen any gluten in tomato paste, but checking ingredient labels is always a good idea. Brands sometimes change their recipes, so good to double-check!

What is the best ground meat for spaghetti sauce?

I personally love to use organic grass-fed ground beef in this spaghetti sauce recipe. Ground turkey works well, as does bison or ground pork. Some ground meats are fattier than others, which will change this gluten-free pasta sauce in consistency and flavor.

You may consider adding olive oil to add mouthfeel if you use lean ground meat like ground turkey or chicken.

How long will this pasta sauce keep fresh?

This sauce will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator or up to 4 months in the freezer.

Can you freeze gluten free pasta sauce?

Yes, you can easily freeze pasta sauce! I like to freeze it in an ice cube tray, then put the frozen sauce cubes into a freezer-safe zipper bag.

You will want to make a batch of my Gluten Free Breadsticks to dip in!