Healthy Pasta Sauce Recipes

Store-bought pasta sauce just can't compare to homemade marinara--and the slow cooker makes marinara from scratch much easier. This fresh tomato recipe was developed to preserve the summer bounty from your garden or farmers' market; it freezes well for up to 6 months so you can pull out pasta or pizza sauce anytime. Keeping the skins on makes it even easier, plus they contain pectin, which helps thicken the sauce.

This creamy vegan butternut squash pasta sauce recipe calls for store-bought butternut squash puree, so it's easy to prepare. Cashews add richness and creaminess to this dairy-free sauce, and giving the sauce a final whir in the blender gives it a silky smooth texture. The optional nutritional yeast adds a mild Parmesan-like flavor. Serve the sauce over your favorite pasta and add a simple salad for a comforting and healthy fall dinner.

This easy homemade spaghetti sauce recipe calls for fresh tomatoes, so it's perfect for summertime when you have a bumper crop of homegrown beauties or you went overboard at the farmers' market. Aside from the tomatoes and a sprig of fresh basil, you need just a handful of pantry ingredients and 15 minutes of active time to make this healthy pasta sauce. Serve it over spaghetti or your favorite pasta shape on its own or with the addition of cheese, herbs, meatballs or sausage. Or use it in recipes such as lasagna and eggplant Parmesan.

Trapanese pesto is the Sicilian version of the sauce that uses tomatoes and almonds instead of pine nuts. This savory pesto sauce coats low-carb zucchini noodles and heart-healthy seared salmon to create an absolutely delicious pasta dinner.

Originating from the Catalonia region of Spain, "salsa romesco" is a tomato sauce made with nuts and peppers. It's traditionally eaten with fish, but in this recipe we pair it with whole-grain pasta for a yummy vegetarian meal. Parmesan is our choice for cheese, but you can substitute Pecorino Romano or Manchego cheese if you'd like.

Fresh pasta cooks up faster than dried, making it a must-have for fast weeknight dinners like this luscious yet healthy meal. Eggs are the base of the creamy sauce. They don't get fully cooked, so use pasteurized-in-the-shell eggs if you prefer.

If you're not feeling like regular pasta tonight, turn to butternut squash noodles. These delicate veggie strands are a great base for any number of sauces and toppings, like this creamy and decadent Alfredo sauce with chicken, garlic and silky spinach.

Zucchini noodles (or "zoodles") are all the rage as they're a healthy, gluten-free alternative to pasta. In this recipe, crisp-tender zoodles and sautéed mushrooms are served with a meaty tomato sauce. You'll be serving up more vegetables and we promise--nobody will miss the pasta!

Cooked turkey is combined with pasta, mushrooms and leeks, tossed in a rich maple-cream sauce and sprinkled with crumbled turkey bacon in this 1-hour dinner recipe.

Sure, it's convenient to purchase ready-made tomato sauce at the grocery store, but one look at the label will show you that many brands are high in sodium and added sugars. This easy made-from-scratch tomato sauce uses fresh ingredients and has no added sugar. Make a double batch and store portions for up to 3 months in your freezer. Talk about convenience!

Classic tomato-basil sauce smothers tender gnocchi in this easy recipe. Using shelf-stable gnocchi makes this an easy vegan dinner. Eating gluten-free or just want to eat more vegetables? Try frozen cauliflower gnocchi instead.

Beans stand in place of ground beef in this hearty vegetarian sauce that's ready when you are--thanks to the crock pot. The prep is quick and easy to do in the morning before heading off to work. When you get home, just cook up some whole-wheat pasta to serve it over and dinner is ready. If you have leftovers, freeze them for an easy meal another day.

This lean Bolognese is made with ground turkey instead of ground beef and the result is just as delicious! Plus, finely chopped mushrooms are incorporated into the sauce (undetected!) for an easy way to eat more vegetables. Serve this healthy, hearty sauce with your favorite pasta, or over polenta with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Who says all pestos have to be made with basil and pine nuts? This nut- and garlic-free pesto recipe will prove that all pestos are not equal. Sweet peas, parsley, basil and mint are blended with Parmesan cheese and a mild shallot, resulting in a fresh, tasty sauce that can be served with vegetables or pasta, or even used as a sandwich spread.

This tomato sauce is anything but ordinary, with a combination of smoked paprika and sweet red peppers.

Lunch on the go doesn't have to be boring or typical. This Whole Wheat Pasta with Chicken & Broccoli is quick to prepare and full of flavor. Plus, it's made with whole wheat pasta to keep you satisfied longer.

A multicooker is the perfect vessel for making homemade tomato sauce. You can sauté to develop flavor with the aromatic ingredients, then cook everything under pressure to infuse the tomatoes with garlic, onion, oregano and a splash of red wine. If the tomatoes are sweet on their own, you may not need the optional teaspoon of sugar. Taste before adding.

Nutritional yeast gives this vegan pesto a cheesy flavor, while cashews make it creamy. For a nuttier flavor, use dry-roasted cashews or toast them yourself in the oven before processing. Smear this simple spread on sandwiches, toss with warm pasta, or use it as dip for crudités.

Zucchini noodles, or "zoodles," are a gluten-free, low-calorie substitute for traditional pasta in this easy and fresh vegan dinner. For best results, toss the zucchini pasta with the basil pesto sauce and serve right away.

This healthy summer dinner subs zoodles for pasta to help use up your zucchini bounty--as well as slash calories and carbs. Once the spiralized zucchini has time to soak up the herby pesto sauce, this chicken and pesto pasta makes particularly good leftovers.