The Big 'Sensitive Marinara' Problem We Need To Discuss

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If you love to douse your pasta in marinara but have food sensitivities, you understand the conundrum: finding a sauce that doesn't cause a reaction, but actually has flavor. The things that are so delicious in pasta sauces — tomatoes, garlic, and onion — can wreak havoc for some people's digestion, making that big bowl of spaghetti a big mistake.

There are a number of reasons the various ingredients in marinara sauces can cause issues. Onions and garlic are considered high FODMAP, which are foods that are high in sugars that can cause stomach upset and IBS symptoms. Additionally, if you're prone to acid reflux, the high acid level of tomatoes can aggravate it. While some pasta sauce companies recognize that there are people with these issues and make sauces just for them, a common complaint is that "sensitive marinara" is lacking in flavor since it leaves out garlic and onions. So what's a sauce lover to do if you need sensitive sauce but also love lots of flavor?  You can completely transform that jar of store-bought marinara sauce with one ingredient, or lean into other herbs and spices to "sauce it up". Try tossing in a big dose of basil, and adding some more salt. You can also play around by adding more olive oil, a pinch of sugar, or even sautéed vegetables like carrots and celery.

There are sensitive marinara sauces out there that are gentle on stomachs, but also actually get rave reviews for flavor. Rao's Sensitive Marinara is the same as the brand's uber popular classic marinara, minus the onions and garlic. Rao's specifically simmers the tomatoes to bring out sweetness. "This is actually very good and wonderful for people like me that can't eat alliums," one fan of the sauce said on Reddit.

Carbone Delicato Marinara Pasta Sauce is also free of onions and garlic. The ingredients include Italian tomatoes, carrots, celery, basil, and oregano. "This is the best sauce ... a good balance of acidity," one buyer wrote on Amazon. Another option is to drop the pasta sauce altogether, because sometimes you can't tell the difference between pizza sauce and marinara anyway. Some pizza sauces on the market leave alliums out of their ingredients. For example, Prego Pizzeria Style Pizza Sauce contains less than 1% onions and no garlic. However, beware the sugar content of some of these sauces, as they may go heavy on the stuff to make up for other missing ingredients. If you find a allium-free sauce that works for you, it's easy to adjust pasta sauce for pizza and vice versa.