Creamy Miso Carrot Pasta Sauce Recipe

This easy-to-make creamy miso carrot pasta sauce is the perfect homemade pasta sauce! This creamy sauce is packed full of flavor, it takes less the 30 minutes to make and is sure to be a hit with the whole family! Plus it adds a fun new twist to any pasta dish.

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Carrots aren’t usually something most people think about adding to their homemade pasta sauce. And honestly until about a year ago the idea had never even crossed my mind.

But with what seemed to be an ever-growing sensitivity to tomato-based sauces in my house and certain people being sick of Alfredo sauce. (Don’t ask me how or why.) I knew I was going to have to start getting more creative when it came to making pasta sauce.

I started playing around with a few ideas and before too long, this creamy carrot miso sauce was born! This carrot pasta sauce recipe doesn’t have a lot in common with most traditional pasta sauces, and yet at the same time it does.

While the ingredients might not be exactly what comes to mind when you think about homemade pasta sauce. This carrot sauce recipe still has a lot in common with most pasta sauces, it’s creamy, rich in flavor, well seasoned, and full of cream and cheese!

So while it might not be your traditional homemade pasta sauce, I would highly recommend you give this creamy pasta sauce a try! It’s sure to be a hit and add a fun new twist to any of your favorite pasta dishes! Plus it can be on the table in under 30 minutes!

What is Carrot Pasta Sauce?

As I stated above, this creamy miso carrot pasta sauce is pretty much like any other pasta sauce recipe, just with a few unusual ingredients!

My Carrot pasta sauce is made up of fresh carrots, white miso, garlic, heavy cream, and a few other things! My goal for this recipe was to create a homemade pasta sauce that didn’t contain any tomatoes or tomato-based products.

I wanted a sauce that could be on the table in under 30 minutes and was simple enough to whip up last minute or on any busy weeknight. And I’m happy to say this easy-to-make sauce, checks all those boxes!

Carrot pasta sauce is a smooth sauce, similar in a lot of ways to alfredo sauce. It has a creamy smooth texture and contains cream and cheese. It has a natural sweetness with just the right amount of kick! While its bright yellow-orange color adds a new fun element to any dish.

Usually, I serve this sauce plain over my favorite pasta, but you can use this sauce in any of your homemade pasta recipes. It can be used in lasagnas, stuffed shells, and pasta bakes. You can even use it as pizza sauce or salad dressing!

To sum it up I would consider this creamy carrot sauce a cross between an Alfredo sauce and a marinara sauce, but with carrots instead of tomatoes and a little less heavy cream!

Homemade Miso Carrot Pasta Sauce

Equipment

• a large pot for boiling water
• a large saucepan or a deep skillet for making the sauce 
• upright blender –you can also use a food processor or immersion blender

Ingredients

• shallots, chopped- you can also use a white onion, yellow onion, or even a red onion if you are in a pinch! 
• garlic cloves, minced 
• olive oil, I like to use extra virgin olive oil
• ​fresh carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds 
• sea salt
• crushed red pepper flakes 
• white miso
• heavy cream 
• parmesan cheese
• pasta of choice, You can use any type of pasta or pasta shape that you like
• ​pasta water

How to Make Creamy Miso Carrot Pasta Sauce

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta to al dente according to the package instructions. Reserve 2 cups of the pasta water and set them aside. Drain the pasta, and return it to the pot it was cooked in.

Add some butter or oil to keep the pasta from sticking, then cover and set aside. You can also rinse the pasta in cold to keep it from sticking, however, you will have to cook it in the sauce a little longer to ensure that it is heated through.

In a large saucepan or a deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat until the oil is hot. Add the shallots and garlic cloves, and cook stirring often until the shallots are translucent, and the garlic is frangent.

Add the carrots and saute for 3-5 minutes. Then add the salt, crushed red pepper, and miso, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour in the reserved pasta water and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer until the carrots are tender roughly 10 minutes.

Once the Carrots are tender transfer the mixture to an upright blender. (see notes for other pureeing options) Blend the carrots mixture on low speed until it is completely blended and smooth.

Pour the mixture back into the pan, on low heat. Add the heavy cream and stir to combine.

Once the sauce is hot, add the cooked pasta and toss to combine. Finally, add the parmesan cheese and toss the pasta again, allow the cheese to melt slightly and the pasta to heat through before serving.

Enjoy!

​Recipe notes/How to store carrot pasta sauce

If you don’t have an unright blender, you can also use a food processor or an immersion blender. If you are using a blender or a food processor, be sure to blend the sauce slowly and carefully, or even blend it in batches. The sauce will be hot and is important to be careful and make sure your cover is on tightly to avoid getting burned.

If you don’t have enough pasta water or forget to save some,(I do this all the time!) You can use regular water, vegetable broth, or even chicken broth. You can also add more water or broth to the sauce if it is too thick for you.

I usually use regular orange carrots for this recipe, but you can use any kind you like! White, yellow, and even purple carrots will all work well.

Feel free to add any fresh herbs, spices, black pepper, different cheeses, or even meat to this sauce! Bacon or grilled chicken would be great.

Any leftover pasta sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

You can also make a large batch of this sauce and freeze it! However, you’ll want to put it in the freezer BEFORE adding the heavy cream and cheese. When you are ready to use the sauce, put it in the fridge to thaw, heat the sauce over medium-low heat, add the cream, pasta, and cheese, and serve as usual.  

Looking for more pasta recipes to try? Check out these!

Chunky Vegetable Lasagna with White Sauce and Pesto