This Carrot Pasta Sauce is smooth and creamy, and it goes perfectly with any pasta. It has a sweet and savory flavor that you'll find completely irresistible.
This Carrot Pasta Sauce is a great alternative to tomato-based sauces, especially when you are looking for something creamy to toss your pasta in. This pureed sauce has a wonderful texture thanks to the cashews that are blended in with the other ingredients. And while the carrots, onion, and garlic give the sauce plenty of flavor, the addition of miso paste really levels this sauce up. Sweet, savory, and salty, it adds so much depth of flavor.
This Carrot Pasta Sauce is simple and delicious. You can make as much as you need or prepare some for later. This creamy sauce can be made ahead and frozen so you can use it whenever you get the urge for a yummy bowl of pasta. Let's take a look at some of the tasty ingredients you'll be using.
Video Tutorial
What you'll need
- Carrots. Of course, you want some great tasting carrots.
- Onion.
- Garlic.
- Olive Oil. Or any other kind of oil that you choose.
- Veggie Broth.
- Cashews. These add some texture to the sauce. Make sure you use raw cashews though.
- Miso Paste. You can skip this if you don't have any, but it does bring a lot of flavor and makes this sauce complete.
- Salt, Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes.
How to make it
1. In a medium pot, saute the diced onion in olive oil for about 5 minutes, until it just starts to brown.
2. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Then add the sliced carrots, cashews, and veggie broth. Bring it to a boil and cook, covered with a lid, for about 15-20 minutes, until the carrots are nice and soft.
4. Transfer everything to a blender, add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and miso paste and process until very smooth.
5. Mix the Carrot Pasta Sauce with the hot pasta of choice. Heat everything through and use hot pasta water to thin the sauce, if needed.
How to Choose the best Carrots
Choosing great carrots is important for having the tastiest sauce, so here are a few pointers. When you are looking for carrots, choose ones that are firm and plump, without any little strings at the bottom (these are called rootlets). You want a bright orange color, so avoid pale or gnarled ones. If you can find some that are in bunches, with their leafy green tops still attached, those would be a good choice for this Carrot Pasta Sauce.
Pro Tips for delicious Carrot Pasta Sauce
- Use a high-powered blender. Because you want a smooth sauce in the end, make sure your blender is powerful enough to fully puree the carrots and cashews in this recipe.
- Salt the pasta water. Salting the boiling water that you cook the pasta in will make a difference when you add the pasta and sauce together. Always salt to taste.
- Never rinse your pasta. This creamy Carrot Pasta Sauce will not stick to the pasta if you rinse the pasta after cooking. The starch will help it adhere and make it easier to eat.
- Thin the sauce as needed. If the sauce is on the thick side and you prefer it looser, use some of the hot pasta water to thin it out. This will also boost the flavor a bit.
How to Store and Reheat
To store leftover Carrot Pasta Sauce, place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for 2-3 days. You can also freeze it for future use. Just pour the sauce into an ice cube tray and freeze. Then place the sauce cubes in a freezer bag and use as many as you need, thawing them in the fridge overnight. They will last for a month in the freezer.
What to Serve this with
Once you've tossed the Carrot Pasta Sauce with your favorite pasta, you can serve it with a delicious Napa Cabbage Salad with Corn or some Easy Lemon Lentil Soup. If you like crusty bread, plate a few slices with some vegan butter. Or add some vegetables to the table, like Simple Roasted Broccoli and Roasted Cabbage Steaks.
This Carrot Pasta Sauce is such a flavorful addition to any pasta dinner. It's simple, convenient, and delicious. I hope you enjoy the smooth texture and savory-sweet flavors of this awesome recipe.
More tasty pasta recipes to try:
Carrot Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- ½ medium onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- ¼ cup cashews
- 2 cups veggie broth
- 1 ½ tbsp. white miso paste
- ¼ tsp. salt or to taste
- ¼ tsp. pepper or to taste
- ⅛ tsp. red pepper flakes or to taste
- 16 oz. pasta of choice
Instructions
- In a medium pot, saute the diced onion in olive oil for about 5 minutes, until it just starts to brown.
- Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Then add the sliced carrots, cashews, and veggie broth. Bring it to a boil and cook, covered with a lid, for about 15-20 minutes, until the carrots are nice and soft.
- Transfer everything to a blender, add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and miso paste and process until very smooth.
- Mix the Carrot Pasta Sauce with the hot pasta of choice. Heat everything through and use hot pasta water to thin the sauce, if needed.
Notes
Pro Tips for delicious Carrot Pasta Sauce
- Use a high-powered blender. Because you want a smooth sauce in the end, make sure your blender is powerful enough to fully puree the carrots and cashews in this recipe.
- Salt the pasta water. Salting the boiling water that you cook the pasta in will make a difference when you add the pasta and sauce together. Always salt to taste.
- Never rinse your pasta. This creamy Carrot Pasta Sauce will not stick to the pasta if you rinse the pasta after cooking. The starch will help it adhere and make it easier to eat.
- Thin the sauce as needed. If the sauce is on the thick side and you prefer it looser, use some of the hot pasta water to thin it out. This will also boost the flavor a bit.
Amazing! This sauce is very filling. My fiance loved it, so if will be made again. We always have these ingredients so the convince of this recipe is incredible. I was a little skeptical about the veggie broth, but I was proven wrong.
I added a celery stick to the saute with the onion, and I added some extra red pepper flakes, cayenne, and a half inch of ginger at the blending phase. I served this over red lentil pasta with mushrooms, zucchini, and yellow pepper. For my fiance, I served it over wheat pasta with sausage, mushrooms, zucchini, and yellow pepper.
Wow! Sounds like you had an amazing dinner, Holly! Your fiance is a lucky man. Thank you for the review and rating!
Really loved this recipe! I added some cayenne and favourite vegan cheese https://violifefoods.com/ on top! Thank you so much, taste is fantastic!
Thank you, Jenniffer!
Life changing. Added cayenne for more heat. So good!
Haha! Thank you, Danielle!
Absolutely delicious!!!!!!
Thank you so much, Carla!
So good and really easy! I have tried other similar recipes that use potatoes and nutritional yeast, but this one is lower carb and more economical. Love it!
Yay! I am glad you enjoyed it, Mary!