Carrot Pasta Sauce

With a delicately sweet flavor and plenty of nutrients, this carrot-based sauce is surprisingly simple. It's the perfect kid-friendly option to make weeknight dinnertime a breeze for the whole family!

Course Condiment, Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

Servings cups

Calories 106kcal

Author Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

Equipment

Handheld blender

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion diced, about 1.5 cups
1 pound carrots about 5 medium, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic minced
14.5 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
¾ to 1.5 cups vegetable broth
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon salt more to taste
Pasta for serving
Finely chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Warm olive oil in a pot or large saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and carrots and cook, stirring often, for 10 to 12 minutes until the carrots start to soften. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two more until fragrant.
Pour the crushed tomatoes (with their juices), broth, and red wine vinegar into the pot. Stir in the salt. Start with ¾ cup of broth. Add more if needed during blending, but the carrots release water as they cook, so you may not need as much as you think.
Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until the carrots are fork-tender.
While the veggies cook, prepare your pasta of choice until it is al dente according to package directions.
Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce right in the pot, adding splashes of broth to make it smoother if needed. If you don’t have an immersion blender, see notes for blending the sauce in an upright blender or food processor. Taste and adjust seasonings (add more vinegar, salt, black pepper, or even red pepper flakes) as desired.
Tip: If you prefer the sauce to be a little thicker, let it cool and sit in the fridge for a few hours before serving.
Spoon sauce over cooked pasta. Garnish with parsley. Enjoy!
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Notes

Upright blender or food processor: If you don't have a handheld/immersion blender, you can use one of these tools. Carefully transfer the cooked vegetable mixture to your blender or food processor. Leave a corner of the lid cracked, or remove the plastic circle from the center, to allow steam to escape. Hold a clean dish towel over the cap if you remove the circle. Blend on low until smooth, about 30 to 60 seconds. Add splashes of broth as needed to reach your desired thickness. Blend the sauce in batches if needed to avoid overfilling the blender or food processor.
Storage and reheating: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools. It will get thinner as it reheats, but you can add more broth to it during reheating if desired. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 to 8 minutes until warm.
Freezing: Let the sauce cool before transferring to freezer-safe containers. Leave about an inch of headspace, seal tightly, and label. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating, or reheat straight from frozen in a saucepan with a lid over medium-low heat. Stir frequently to prevent scorching.
Nutrition notes: Nutrition facts do not include pasta. If you're making this for a baby, omit the salt.

Nutrition