By Katy G. Wilkens, MS, RD

I showed my friend a picture of me with the 5-gallon bucket of tomatoes I picked from my garden this weekend. “Oh, my! What can you do with that many tomatoes?” she asked.

My answer was simple: “Sauce.” Homemade tomato sauce captures that just-picked taste of summer. Then it’s available all winter long for pasta dishes, soups, pizza or chicken cacciatore. 

Commercial tomato sauce often has starch added to thicken it. The starch tends to give a pasty, gluey texture, as well as adding gluten. Homemade tomato sauces are much “looser” and the bright tomato flavor shines through. 

The tomato sauce you buy in cans and jars is typically highly salted, with some brands having as much as 700 milligrams of sodium per half cup. As a reminder, everyone’s goal for sodium intake should be about 1,500 to 2,000 milligrams for a whole day. The dietitian in me says that getting half of your day’s need from just a half cup of tomato sauce isn’t very healthy or particularly wise. 

Rich’s Marinara Sauce

4 pounds of fresh heirloom tomatoes

4-6 garlic cloves, sliced or minced

4-5 onions, diced

4-5 green or red peppers, sliced

1 pound carrots, grated

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

¼ cup fresh oregano, chopped

¼ cup fresh rosemary, chopped

¼ fresh basil, chopped

Wash tomatoes. Remove peels by dipping tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds, peeling off the skins, and then dicing. Or, chop tomatoes with skins on in food processor or blender. I usually choose the food processor since tomato skins are a great source of antioxidants, but the skins can get a bit chewy. Sauté onions until clear, add garlic and carrots, and then sauté for 2-3 minutes more. Add tomatoes, peppers, onion mixture and all fresh herbs except the basil. Bring to a boil and simmer until about a quarter of the liquid has evaporated. 

Meanwhile, sterilize canning jars and lids or freezer containers. Follow directions for hot water bath canning, or freeze sauce, or serve fresh over stuffed pasta shells for a not-to-be-forgotten end-of-summer meal. 

Nutritional Information: 

Calories: 30, Carbohydrates: 6 grams, Protein: 1 gram, Sodium: 9 milligrams

Stuffed Shells

1 package extra-large pasta seashells or manicotti tubes

1 large carton ricotta cheese

1 large can of tomato sauce

2 eggs, beaten

Bunch of baby spinach

½ cup or so of fresh basil, chopped

2-3 Italian sausages

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Start large pot of water boiling for pasta. Add pasta shells and cook only about 4-5 minutes. They should be stiff enough to hold their shape. Meanwhile, put the baby spinach in a bowl and microwave 2-3 minutes; it should be wilted. Sauté sausage in fry pan and cut into small pieces. Mix together ricotta, cooked spinach, basil, eggs and sausage. Rinse pasta in cold water. Use a spoon to fill the shells. Put half of the sauce on the bottom of greased casserole dish and set shells in it, filled side up. Drizzle with remaining sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan and bake uncovered for 30 minutes. 

Nutritional Information: 

Calories: 375, Carbohydrates: 39 grams, Protein: 20 grams, Sodium: 490 milligrams

The information in this column is meant for people who want to keep their kidneys healthy and blood pressure down by following a low-sodium diet. In most cases, except for dialysis patients, a diet high in potassium is thought to help lower high blood pressure. These recipes are not intended for people on dialysis without the supervision of a registered dietitian. 

Katy G. Wilkens is a registered dietitian and department head at Northwest Kidney Centers. A recipient of the Susan Knapp Excellence in Education Award from the National Kidney Foundation Council on Renal Nutrition, she has a Master of Science degree in nutritional sciences from the University of Washington. See more of her recipes at www.nwkidney.org.