If you’re craving comfort food but also want to sneak in some veggies and protein, this Easy Carrot Pasta Sauce is for you! Roasted carrots bring a natural sweetness while silken tofu adds a creamy, high-protein twist that’s totally vegan. This simple, affordable family meal will be a crowd-pleaser among even the pickiest of eaters!
If you’re reading this, odds are you’re coming from my Instagram page and my new series “10 days of $10 meals.” I started this as a fun way to creatively challenge myself and to help y’all eat well on a budget. And let me tell ya…I’m only a few recipes in and I’m already so so obsessed. Creating a dang delicious meal that’s super affordable and healthy at the same time is like the most satisfying feeling ever.
This Easy Vegan Carrot Pasta Sauce is next up in my budget-friendly series and wowww this turned out way better than I could’ve ever expected! Sure raw carrots are fine, but the second you roast them up with some onion and garlic, the natural sweetness really comes out and it makes for the perfect creamy, nutrient-dense base for a pasta sauce. And even with the addition of silken tofu for a vegan protein boost, and some pasta…this meal still ends up being $10 for 4 generous servings!
I also feel like this carrot sauce for pasta would be perfect if you have picky kids (or husbands) who refuse to eat veggies. Because you can’t even tell it’s in there! You can also have this meal on the table in 40 minutes or less, and most of the cook time is passive…so this recipe couldn’t get much easier. It’s comfort food made healthy and I hope you love it as much as we did!
Why You’ll Love this Easy Vegan Carrot Pasta Sauce
- It’s the perfect way to sneak in veggies for picky kids or partners!
- You’d never be able to tell this pasta sauce is high in protein & vegan.
- It’s as simple as roast and blend.
- You can easily make this gluten free or even higher in protein by swapping in a different pasta.
- This is a budget-friendly meal that can feed the whole family for only $6!
- It’s the perfect healthy comfort food dinner that’s quick enough for weeknights.
- The sauce is naturally sweet from the roasted carrots & perfectly creamy.
What You Need to Make this Creamy Carrot Sauce for Pasta
- Carrots: I’m not obsessed with raw carrots but once you roast them, they become so sweet and delicious! This is the perfect creamy base for the pasta sauce that sneaks in so many nutrients. Plus, they’re one of the most affordable vegetables!
- Yellow Onion: 1 jumbo yellow onion – peeled and cut into eighths. I like getting mine from Trader Joe’s.
- Fresh Garlic: You’ll need about 6 large cloves…keep the skin on! We’ll remove it after roasting.
- Olive Oil: A bit of your preferred oil for roasting the carrots, garlic and onion.
- Silken Tofu: This is the secret ingredient that boosts the protein while keeping this carrot pasta sauce vegan and budget-friendly! I promise you can’t even taste it.
- Broth: You can either use a bit of chicken broth, veggie broth or even just some of the reserved pasta water to thin out the carrot pasta sauce.
- Pasta: Use 12oz of whatever kind of pasta you prefer! If you want to boost the protein even further, you can use a protein pasta like Brami or Banza and still keep it under $10 total. This yields a very saucy pasta so feel free to increase it to 16oz if you want.
- Nutritional Yeast, Red Pepper Flakes, Kosher Salt & Black Pepper: Nutritional yeast is an optional ingredient but adds a bit of “cheesy” flavor without any dairy. I also love spicing up the sauce with some red pepper flakes & seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
How To Make this Roasted Carrot Pasta Sauce
Prep Carrots & Roast in the Oven:
First, preheat your oven to 400F. Then, add carrots, onion and garlic to baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with kosher salt & black pepper to taste. Toss to coat, then spread out evenly on the baking sheet. Transfer baking sheet to the oven and roast the veggies for about 25 minutes or until fork tender, flipping/stirring at the halfway point. Allow everything to cool for a few minutes.
Cook Pasta to Al-Dente:
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and season heavily with kosher salt. Cook pasta to al-dente according to package directions. Then, drain off excess water and return pasta to the pot.
Blend Carrot Pasta Sauce:
Next, remove garlic cloves from the skin and transfer them to a high-speed blender along with the roasted carrots, onion, silken tofu, broth (or reserved pasta water), nutritional yeast and red pepper flakes. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the amount of salt, pepper & red pepper flakes to taste.
Toss Pasta with Sauce, Let Warm up & Enjoy:
Finally, pour the creamy carrot sauce over the pasta and toss until coated. If it’s not warm enough, turn it to medium-low just for a few minutes. Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks for this Carrot Pasta Sauce:
As the name implies, this carrot pasta sauce is really easy to whip up, but here are a few tips and tricks to make sure you get the best results.
- Skip the carrot peeling: No need to peel the carrots for this recipe! Just wash them thoroughly.
- Flip the veggies halfway: This will help the carrots cook more evenly and prevent any burning.
- Blend sauce in 2 batches if you have a small blender: I was able to just barely fit all the carrot sauce ingredients in my Vitamix, but if you have a smaller blender, I’d recommend splitting it into two batches.
- Use pasta water instead of broth for even more cost savings: Either one is fine…just need a little bit of liquid to thin out the carrot sauce!
- Increase to 1 lb of pasta if you don’t like it as saucy: This certainly yields a saucy pasta which we love but you can stretch this meal even further by increasing the amount of pasta to 1 lb!
Cost Breakdown for this Budget-Friendly Meal:
This Easy Carrot Pasta Sauce is the second recipe of my “10 days of $10 meals” series! This series is proof that you can eat nourishing, delicious meals while on a budget. Of course, grocery prices will vary based on your region and store shop at, as well as if you upgrade to organic/pasture-raised for anything…but I’ll leave my personal cost breakdown below! Please note, that pantry staples are NOT included in the $10.
- Carrots:
- $1.99/2 lb bag (Star Market)
- 1 lb = $0.99
- Yellow Onion:
- $1.19/1 onion (Trader Joe’s)
- Garlic:
- $0.49/head (Trader Joe’s)
- 6 cloves = $0.29
- Silken Tofu:
- $2.49 (Whole Foods)
- Pasta:
- $1.49/1 lb box (Star Market)
- 12 oz = $1.12
- OR upgrade to protein pasta for $3.99
TOTAL PRICE with normal pasta = $6.08 ($1.52 per serving)
TOTAL PRICE with protein pasta = $8.95 ($2.24 per serving)
How Should I Store Leftover of this Easy Carrot Pasta Sauce?
First allow this Easy Carrot Pasta Sauce to cool down, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. You may notice that the sauce will thicken up as it sits, but you could rehydrate it with a bit more broth if you want. It’s delicious eaten cold or warmed up in the microwave.
Find the full recipe below. As always, please let me know if you tried it by commenting below or tagging me on Instagram, @munchinwithmaddie_.
Looking for More Pasta Recipes?
- High-Protein Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- Gluten Free Hamburger Helper (No Milk)
- Creamy Mushroom and Spinach Pasta
- Easy Elote Pasta Salad
- Creamy Butternut Squash Feta Pasta
- One-Pan Buffalo Chicken Orzo
- Creamy Shrimp Scampi with Orzo and Asparagus
Easy Carrot Pasta Sauce (High Protein + Vegan)
Equipment
- baking sheet
- large pot
- spatula
Ingredients
- 1 lb carrots cut into ½" rounds (no need to peel)
- 1 large yellow onion peeled & cut into eighths
- 6 garlic cloves (skin on)*
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 lb silken tofu
- ½ cup broth or reserved pasta water + more as needed
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (can omit if you don't like spice)
- kosher salt & black pepper to taste
- 12 oz pasta of choice **
Instructions
- First, preheat your oven to 400F. Then, add carrots, onion and garlic to baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with kosher salt & black pepper to taste. Toss to coat, then spread out evenly on the baking sheet.1 lb carrots, 1 large yellow onion, 6 garlic cloves, 1.5 tbsp olive oil, kosher salt & black pepper
- Transfer baking sheet to the oven and roast the veggies for about 25 minutes or until fork tender, flipping/stirring at the halfway point. Allow everything to cool for a few minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and season heavily with kosher salt. Cook pasta to al-dente according to package directions. Then, drain off excess water and return pasta to the pot.12 oz pasta of choice
- Remove garlic cloves from the skin and transfer them to a high-speed blender along with the roasted carrots, onion, silken tofu, broth (or reserved pasta water), nutritional yeast and red pepper flakes. You may have to do this in two batches, depending on the size of your blender. Blend until smooth, adding more broth or reserved pasta water as needed to achieve your desired consistency. Taste and adjust the amount of salt, pepper & red pepper flakes to taste.1 lb silken tofu, ½ cup broth or reserved pasta water, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, ½ tsp red pepper flakes, kosher salt & black pepper
- Pour the creamy carrot sauce over the pasta and toss until coated. If it's not warm enough, turn it to medium-low just for a few minutes. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
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