Name: Carrot Pasta Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2 kids
Ingredients: 2 tsp Olive oil (divided); 2 Garlic cloves (chopped); 1 large Carrot (grated approx 1 cup); 6-7 Cashews; 3/4 cup Water; 1/2 tsp Oregano; 1/2 tsp Salt; 2 tbsp Cream; 100 grams dry Pasta (any short pasta like fusilli, penne, macaroni)

Carrot Pasta Sauce (Kid Friendly Pasta Sauce)

Here’s a carrot pasta sauce that’ll fool you into thinking you are having mac n cheese! Silky smooth, creamy and luscious but without any cheese. Such a delicious way to add veggies to kid friendly meals

Serves 2 kids

Prep 5 minutes

Cook 15 minutes

Total 20 minutes

Jump to the recipe

Carrot Pasta Sauce (Kid Friendly Pasta Sauce)

Close up of carrot pasta to show the creammy texture

Hey luscious, creamy, awesomeness! I’ve been making a carrot pasta sauce for years. Not because its a way to sneak vegetables into the kids’ food (which it is!) but also because it’s delicious. Like truly tasty!

Looking for more Kids Recipes? Please try out Millet Pancakes, Veggie Pancakes, Ragi Crepes, Green Muffins and homemade Tomato Ketchup

That’s why it’s a lunch box favourite and dinner favourite for all us. For the adults, I add some chilli flakes or chilli crisp but even without it, I can eat a bowlful!

Why it’s Kid Friendly?

I’ve rarely met a kid who doesn’t enjoy pasta. This carrot pasta sauce uses carrots, cashews and a little cream as a base. Good fats and veggies. And they don’t even realise that this has no cheese in it. Cheese isn’t bad at all. But the thing is, this sauce is made with other good things.

Everything You Need for Carrot Pasta Sauce

Picture of all the ingredients for carrot pasta sauce with text to identify them

Richa’s Top Tips to make the best Carrot Sauce for Pasta

This is a naturally vegan pasta sauce if you skip the cream and is gluten free. I didn’t design it that way but it totally works if you follow certain dietary restrictions
Carrots can be prepared quickly in a grater or food processor. It doesn’t matter how they are cut, but just make sure its small so they cook fast. Big chunks will take much longer to cook
Carrot should be completely tender for a really smooth sauce
Cream is optional but I love adding a little. It makes the sauce tastier and fat is good for kids in general
Other ingredients you can add are bacon, cheese, tomato, zucchini etc to the sauce

Carrot Pasta and various other things in a kids lunch box

This recipe has been tried and tested and given a big thumbs up by my kids and their school friends! It eats really well even later which makes it perfect for lunchboxes.

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The recipe

Carrot Pasta Sauce

This is not mac n cheese but totally feels like it. The sauce is made from carrots and cashew nuts and is a really creamy, flavourful sauce that tastes 'cheesy' without any cheese. It's brilliant. Kids and adults will fall for it!

Serves 2 kids
Prep 5 minutes
Cook 15 minutes
Total 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 tsp Olive oil (divided)
2 Garlic cloves (chopped)
1 large Carrot (grated approx 1 cup)
6-7 Cashews
3/4 cup Water
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Cream
100 grams dry Pasta (any short pasta like fusilli, penne, macaroni)

Method

1
Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan and add garlic and carrots. Saute for a minute. Add cashews and water. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the flame to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes till the carrot and cashews are tender.
2
Cool completely and blend to a smooth paste.
3
While the carrots are cooking, boil pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
4
Heat the remaining oil and add the carrot sauce, along with oregano and salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes and add cream.
5
Mix well and add pasta. Toss pasta in sauce and simmer for 2-3 minutes to warm the pasta through. Add a little water if required to adjust the consistency of the sauce. Serve hot.

Notes

This is a naturally vegan pasta sauce if you skip the cream and is gluten free. I didn’t design it that way but it totally works if you follow certain dietary restrictions Carrots can be prepared quickly in a grater or food processor. It doesn’t matter how they are cut, but just make sure its small so they cook fast. Big chunks will take much longer to cook Carrot should be completely tender for a really smooth sauce Cream is optional but I love adding a little. It makes the sauce tastier and fat is good for kids in general Other ingredients you can add are bacon, cheese, tomato, zucchini etc to the sauce