Orecchiette with Creamy Carrot Miso Sauce | Feasting At Home
May 22, 2020 98 Comments ★★★★★ 5 from 45 reviews
Orecchiette with Creamy Carrot Miso Sauce
A simple delicious vegan recipe for Orecchiette with Creamy Carrot Miso Sauce, topped with a bright and flavorful Carrot Top Gremolata (optional) and Toasted Bread Crumbs. If you are a fan of the Orecchiette with Broccoli Sauce I know you’ll appreciate this too! Flavorful and healthy!
We’ve been loving this vegan Orecchiette Pasta lately and I think you might too. It features fresh, happy carrots, not just the roots, but the tops too! The Orecchiette pasta is the perfect little scoop for the creamy carrot sauce. Pillowy cups of goodness.
The carrot sauce is so simple to make and basically simmers while the orecchiette pasta cooks, very quick and efficient – and then it is blended into the creamiest silkiest sauce that glows with nutrients.
The vibrant green carrot tops are turned into a tasty, herby Gremolata Sauce. Double the flavor and double the nutrients!
Orecchiette w/Creamy Carrot Miso Sauce! | 45-second video
Why this Orecchiette works?
It hits all the marks for me:
- satisfyingly creamy -yet surprisingly vegan!
- so much depth and umami (from the miso)
- gratifying texture and crunch (from the toasted bread crumbs)
- bright and tangy flavors from Carrot-Top Gremolata
- full of nutrients!
Altogether it is an orchestra of flavors- and basically- it just makes me happy!
Try it and see if it makes you happy too. Just curious.
It starts with fresh sweet carrot and their tops. If you can’t find carrot tops, feel free to sub flat-leaf parsley.
Slice the carrots thinly for the fastest cooking, and rough-chop the garlic and shallots.
Saute the shallots and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until golden and fragrant.
Add the carrots, water, and cashews, and let simmer covered until the carrots are tender- about 15 minutes. At the same time cook the Orecchiette pasta.
When the carrots are tender, stir in the miso. I like to use white miso here to help keep the sauce bright and orange.
Then you will blend it into a silky smooth sauce.
To make the Carrot top Gremolata, pick a 1/2 cup of tender carrot tops. Alternatively you can use flat-leaf parsley.
Place in a food processor with parsley, lemon zest and a garlic clove. Pulse repeatedly.
Add olive oil and salt.
Set aside.
Toast up some bread crumbs.
Here I’ve toasted panko with a little olive oil, salt, and granulated garlic. You could make your own bread crumbs with leftover crusty bread- sourdough if you are on that train.
The bread crumbs add the PERFECT TEXTURE to the creamy pasta. TRUST ME!
Drain the orecchiette pasta and pour the creamy carrot sauce over top.
It will almost feel like creamy mac and cheese but wayyyyyyy better.
Divide among bowls and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
The pasta is good without the Gremolata, but the gremolata really elevates it.
I hope you have beautiful weekend friends. You’ll find the freshes carrots (and their vibrant green tops) at the farmers market this weekend so get outside, get some fresh air and go get some carrots.
xoxo
Sylvia
More Recipes you may like:
- Orecchiette with Broccoli Sauce
- Spring Orecchiette with Asparagus and Peas
- Vegan Alfredo
- 25 MUST-TRY Vegetarian Pastas (that are not boring!)
- North African Carrot Soup with Chermoula
- Carrot Salad with Quinoa and Almonds
Orecchiette with Creamy Carrot Miso Sauce (Vegan)
- Author: Sylvia Fountaine
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Prep Time: 20 -
Cook Time: 25 -
Total Time: 45 minutes -
Yield: 3-4 -
Category: vegan, pasta -
Method: stove top -
Cuisine: American
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Pin Description
A simple delicious vegan recipe for Orecchiette with Creamy Carrot Miso Sauce, topped with a bright and tasty Carrot Top Gremolata (optional) and Toasted Bread Crumbs. Flavorful and healthy! #orecchiette
Ingredients
- 8–10 ounces orecchiette pasta, cooked in salted water, according to package directions.
Carrot Miso Sauce:
- 2 shallots, rough chopped (or 1/2 an onion)
- 4–6 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 heaping cups carrots, thinly sliced (3 medium carrots)
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup raw cashews (or sub raw hemp seeds)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- ——-
- 3 tablespoons White Miso Paste
Carrot Top Gremolata (optional, but tasty)
- 1/2 cup carrot tops (tender leaves) packed or sub 1/2 cup more Italian Parsley
- 1/2 cup Italian parsley
- 1 fat garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest ( zest from one med lemon)
- ——
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup– 1/2 cup olive oil (make sure it is not bitter-taste it!)
Instructions
- 1COOK PASTA: Set 6-8 cups salted water to boil for pasta, and cook according to directions.
- 2COOK the SAUCE: Heat oil in a medium pot, over medium heat. Saute shallot and garlic until fragrant and golden, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add carrots, cashews, water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat to low and simmer gently until carrots are fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the 3 tablespoons of miso ( it doesn’t need to dissolve fully) and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
- 3While the carrots simmer make the optional Carrot Top Gremolata and Toasted Panko or Bread Crumbs (see notes!)
- 4BLEND THE CARROT MISO SAUCE: Once the carrots are tender and slightly cooled, place all in a high-speed blender, covering tightly with a kitchen towel, blend on the lowest setting, gradually increasing speed, until fully blended, creamy and silky smooth about 1- 1 1/2 minutes. Take your time here and get it SMOOTH!!!
- 5Drain the pasta and pour the sauce over the pasta, gently warming if needed. Taste and adjust salt. (If you didn’t salt your pasta water, chances are you’ll need salt.)
- 6Divide among bowls, and sprinkle with toasted bread crumbs and spoon the flavorful Carrot Top Gremolata over top.
Notes
iFeel free to toss in 1 cup of other veggies into the cooking pasta at the end to steam. For example, sometimes I’ll add a cup of peas to quickly blanch in with the pasta at the last minute.
iYou can make the sauce ahead, refrigerate and warm up before serving.
iCarrot TOP Gremolata:
- 1Place carrot leaves, parsley, lemon zest and garlic in a food processer and pulse repeatedly until finely chopped. Add the salt and oil, pulsing a few more times until incorporated (but not too smooth). Add more oil if you prefer a looser version.
iToasted Bread Crumbs or Panko.
- 1Place a 1/2 -1 cup of bread crumbs or panko in a large skillet over medium heat, and drizzle with just enough olive oil to lightly coat. Add a good pinch of salt and granulated garlic if you like. Stir until golden, about 5 minutes. Let cool.
i
Keywords: carrot pasta, orecchiette pasta recipes vegan, orecchiette recipes, orecchiette recipe, orecchiette recipes creamy, orecchiette recipe vegan
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Hey, I'm Sylvia! Professional chef, former restaurant owner and caterer, here is where I share hundreds of seasonal, globally-inspired, VEGGIE-DRIVEN recipes.Let's start cooking together! Subscribe to my latest recipes and get my free, PLANT-BASED RECIPE GUIDE.
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Darshana Miller says December 26, 2020 at 6:19 am
I made this for Christmas dinner. My boyfriend couldn’t stop eating it. He said he never pictured eating orecchiette for the holidays. I used 1 Tablespoon less of the white miso, and used a hand immersion blender which makes the sauce thicker than shown. I also baked it into a casserole with the gremolata and bread crumbs on top. That really was a great idea! I will make this again!
★★★★★
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Laura Hill says
December 17, 2020 at 3:46 pm
Very easy & delicious!
Can you freeze sauce★★★★★
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Sylvia Fountaine says
December 18, 2020 at 11:28 am
Laura, I haven’t tried freezing….so not sure if it will separate? If you try, will you let us know?
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Nicole says
December 12, 2020 at 6:11 pm
I forgot to get cashews so I used white beans instead. Husband and I really liked it and plan to make again!
★★★★★
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Sylvia Fountaine says
December 13, 2020 at 8:22 am
Interesting! A much lower fat option- I’ll have to try that.
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Jenni says
December 08, 2020 at 9:12 am
This is fantastic!! The breadcrumbs and gremolata 100% take this to the next level!
★★★★★
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Jen says
December 04, 2020 at 3:28 pm
This was fabulous- we served over our hand rolled cavatelli and topped with roasted panko, gremolata and shiitake. For the sauce I omitted the oil and added a pinch of red pepper flakes.
★★★★★
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Alex M says
December 03, 2020 at 5:06 pm
This might just be the best pasta I’ve ever made — and I make/eat a lot of great pasta. SO delicious. It’s perfectly rich and creamy and filled with umami.
Do not skip out on the toasted panko and gremolota. They both added so much flavor and texture to the already amazing sauce.
I made two heaping cups of pasta (more than recipe called for) and still had a full mason jar of leftover sauce. Looks like I’m going to have to make a second batch!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe
★★★★★
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shapelessjourneys says
November 27, 2020 at 2:40 pm
Tasty sauce with a hint of sweetness, something different than the regular pasta sauce. Love the miso taste. Used it over ravioli and left 1/4 of it unpureed for a bit of bite.
★★★★★
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Amaany says
November 20, 2020 at 11:35 pm
Hi! I really want to try this recipe but we dont have miso available in the supermarkets. Is there a substitute for it? thanks xx
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Sylvia Fountaine says
November 22, 2020 at 3:53 pm
Not really. It adds a lovely depth. Have you tried online?
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Bo Sung says
November 19, 2020 at 11:46 am
Lovely colour and fantastic taste!
I was looking for a new vegan pasta sauce and voilá! I found this recipe on Tuesday and two days later, I just tried it and loved it.
I never thought that miso would go well with cashews, it was just great.
Thanks a lot for the great recipe.
★★★★★
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Mona says
November 16, 2020 at 6:38 am
We are not a vegan family. I tried this recipe because of hosting a friend that is vegan. Everyone loved this dish I could make most of I ahead of time which was great and I will make it again.
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Lexi says
November 12, 2020 at 9:10 pm
Wow I’m impressed. This turned out really great. It’s definitely not Mac n cheese but it’s great anyway!
I added some nutritional yeast to the sauce. Yum!
★★★★★
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Tiffany says
October 31, 2020 at 2:01 pm
Love this recipe, my husband who is a serious carnivore even loved it and thats saying a lot!
Would this freeze well? I would love to make extra and have it in the freezer!Thank you!
★★★★★
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Lauren says
October 30, 2020 at 10:06 am
Loved this recipe! The sauce is so creamy and the toasted breadcrumbs on the top really make it. I didn’t change anything with the recipe and I definitely won’t going forward. New staple dish! I can’t wait to try other recipes from the site.
★★★★★
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Bailey says
October 14, 2020 at 8:53 pm
This recipe is incredible, I can’t stop making it! Seriously one of the best things I’ve eaten and made! I want everyone to try this to see how good vegan food can be! Also a great way to work on using up the mass harvest of carrots from my garden. Thank you for such a fabulous recipe!
★★★★★
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fotini says
October 14, 2020 at 12:39 am
Love the sexy creaminess and the no waste approach! this is the second recipe from feasting at home (first I tried the frankies!) and two out of two delish meals so far! and counting
★★★★★
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Jen says
October 12, 2020 at 11:17 am
Really loved this recipe! I have a cashew allergy so used some almond crema I had in the fridge and it was perfect! I am a new fan and will be trying more of your recipes.
★★★★★
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Allison says
October 06, 2020 at 10:39 am
Do you think a different type of nut would work in place of cashews? I really want to try this, but my son has a cashew allergy.
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Jessica says
September 30, 2020 at 8:15 pm
Awesome recipe! I am not vegan but this is now printed out and in my recipe binder to make again. It was so flavorful.
★★★★★
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Niveditha says
October 31, 2020 at 2:05 am
The pasta was bursting with flavours! And my dad kept adding more gremolata to his plate with every helping! Thank you so much for introducing us to this wonderful recipe!
★★★★★
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Sarah says
September 29, 2020 at 12:24 pm
Fantastic recipe! Delicious, creamy, filling, healthy but feels indulgent. Going in the “meals we like” file for future use.
★★★★★
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Kate says
September 27, 2020 at 4:59 pm
This is so delicious. I made a batch and ate it for 3 days…and then immediately bought ingredients to make it again because I’m obsessed! Love the Gremolata-but I think it’s better the next day, so if you have time to plan ahead I’d make this one day sooner.
★★★★★
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Denise Bauer says
September 21, 2020 at 1:38 pm
I have not yet made this recipe. I have a question before I do so. There are 2 places in the recipe that have a bullet point but there’s no ingredient by either of them. One is in the sauce. The other is in the gremolata. Is this just a typo or are there ingredients that are missing? I’m reading the recipe from my phone but that should not be a factor.
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Sylvia Fountaine says
September 21, 2020 at 3:55 pm
Nothing is missing. It’s how I try to break up the ingredients according to the steps. Maybe it is weird.
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Amanda Morgan says
September 09, 2020 at 8:40 pm
This was my first creamy vegan sauce since saying bye to dairy, and it didn’t disappoint! I substituted rocket (as I had so much) in the gremolata (divine too) and the bread crumbs really replaced the parmesan. Also tried this with potato the next time round and added mushroom, spinach, spring onion and bacon to appease the hubby – still amazing!
★★★★★
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Elisa Graber says
September 07, 2020 at 3:57 am
This dish is incredibly delicious!!!! My husband described it as something you would expect to be served at a 5 star restaurant, and I agree. Thank you for sharing. I can’t wait to try your other recipes.
★★★★★
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Danny says
September 03, 2020 at 12:33 pm
Hi – about to try this recipe – looks amazing. Is there any alternative to Cashews ( trying not to use any nuts) Please let me know,
Thank you-
Sylvia Fountaine says
September 03, 2020 at 4:19 pm
Not off the top of my head. Are you vegan?
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Alanna says
August 20, 2020 at 8:24 pm
Just made this. Yes it is time consuming and requires a lot of clean up, but I think it would get easier with more practice. Also, the Gremolata is a MUST. That with the toasted panko was a game changer. I made it with red miso paste as I didn’t have white miso, and just put slightly less than 3 tablespoons. Overall delicious and my second recipe from your website this month!
★★★★★
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Heather says
August 20, 2020 at 8:02 pm
Wow!! I will be making this on repeat for the foreseeable future. Sauteed shitake’s would be great with this. Also wondering if adding nutritional yeast to the sauce would make for a tasty vegan nacho cheeze.
I don’t often leave comments for recipes but this is SO good I felt compelled to. Thanks for creating/sharing!★★★★★
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Sylvia Fountaine says
August 21, 2020 at 7:50 am
Haha, love it. Yes on Nutritional yeast for the nacho cheese!
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Melody says
August 12, 2020 at 4:27 pm
This recipe is amazing (and one of my favorites that I have made from your site)! Everything about it was delicious! Thank you so very much for sharing your incredible recipes online!
★★★★★
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Sylvia Fountaine says
August 12, 2020 at 5:47 pm
Thanks so much Melody!Appreciate this so much!
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Hi, I'm Sylvia! PNW Chef & 2018 Saveur Blog Awards Finalist!
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