Creamy Carrot and Ginger Pasta Sauce
Alyssa Larson
Alyssa is a digital marketer by day and a self taught home cook by night who focuses on unique flavor combinations, lives for a great plate of pasta and is willing to experiment with anything in the kitchen. She can almost always be found with a coffee in her hand at a local farmers market!
Cozy Weather Calls For Some Hearty Comfort Pasta
If you’re looking for a not-so-typical pasta sauce this is just the recipe you need. The natural sweetness and vibrant color of carrots mixed with the deep and cozy flavors of ginger and shallots create a savory and velvety sauce for your next pasta dish. Save those carrot tops to create a garlicky and smooth pesto that’s perfect for drizzling on top!
This unique pasta recipe is versatile and pairs wonderfully with a homemade pesto for an easy lunch or dinner option. We recommend using the Anolon X 12” Skillet to create a nice sear on the carrots which adds extra flavor, and is large enough to pour your cooked pasta back into for a perfect finish in the sauce.
You can use your favorite pasta shape and brand or make your own homemade pasta for a fully scratch made dinner! To customize this dish, you can add roasted chickpeas, fresh herbs, or a sprinkle of Parmesan to elevate its flavors.
- Yield:
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
Sauce Ingredients:
1 ½ cups full carrots with greens chopped
½ cup half and half or cream (can sub broth for no dairy)
¼ cup shallot, diced
1-2 TBSP fresh ginger, minced
1 TBSP cumin
1 TBSP sea salt
1 TBSP butter (can skip for no dairy)
Olive oil for cooking
Salt and pepper to taste
Pesto Ingredients::
1 ½ cups carrot greens (can use parsley instead)
1 TBSP garlic
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
Pinch of sea salt
Directions
Bring a sauce pan to medium heat (for example, the Anolon X 12” skillet).
Add some olive oil, the ginger and shallot to the pan. Allow to cook for about 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
Add the carrots, cumin and salt to the pan and cook until soft.
While carrots are cooking, bring water to a boil to cook pasta. (I like to use my Anolon 2.5 quart Hybrid pot). Once water is boiling add salt and cook pasta to al dente. Reserve some of your pasta water!
Transfer carrots to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth (you may need to add just a bit of water to loosen them up).
In the same skillet, add the butter and then pour the carrot puree back into the pot.
Add the cream, half and half or broth and stir until smooth.
Transfer cooked pasta from the pot directly into the pan with sauce. Add a ladle of the pasta water to help create a more velvety sauce and stir it all together.
For the pesto, add all ingredients into a food processor and blitz until smooth.
Serve pasta in a bowl and top with fresh pesto and more Parmesan cheese.