Autumnal Harvest Pasta Sauce – if that sounds familiar to you, it’s because you are a Trader Joe’s shopper – just like me! This is my copycat take on their seasonal Fall pasta sauce. I was intrigued when I saw the friendly associate hand out samples, but picked up a bottle and checked out the ingredients. Sure enough, it had cane sugar and cream – ingredients that I don’t typically eat. But the remaining ingredients were super healthy and represented a traditional Fall harvest. So I set out to create my own version of the sauce, which is vegan and flavorful and which my kids gobbled up with a plate of steaming hot pasta. In fact, it was so good that I had leftovers the next day as soup with some of my crusty sourdough bread.
Enjoy this sauce on your pasta of choice. Add some of my vegan parmesan cheese to take this meal to the next level.
Autumnal Harvest Pasta Sauce
Course: MainCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy10
minutes20
minutesA delicious pasta sauce that incorporates all of the quintessential Fall flavors. Make it in your Instant Pot or the stovetop.
Ingredients
1 onion, finely chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
4 medium carrots, chopped
3 cups diced butternut squash
4 medium tomatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
3 cups vegetable broth or water
1/4 cup raw cashews
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced
1 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar or maple syrup
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
- Instant Pot Method
- Turn the saute function on and add the oil, Add the onions, garlic and carrots and saute for 2-3 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, squash, pumpkin, cashews, water or broth, all the remaining ingredients and seasonings and stir to combine.
- Close the lid and set vent to seal. Set to Manual mode and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Let pressure release naturally.
- Use an immersion blender and blend the cooked mixture until it is smooth. Alternately, transfer the mixture to a blender (after it cools slightly). Add more water as needed to ensure smooth grinding.
- Serve immediately over hot cooked pasta, or transfer to a bottle and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Stovetop Method
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and carrots and saute for 2-3 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, squash, pumpkin, cashews, water or broth, all the remaining ingredients and seasonings and stir to combine.
- Once the mixture starts to simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 45-50 minutes and until the squash is tender, stirring every 10 minutes to ensure the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. If the mixture reduces too much, add more water as needed.
- Use an immersion blender and blend the cooked mixture until it is smooth. Alternately, transfer the mixture to a blender (after it cools slightly). Add more water as needed to ensure smooth grinding.
- Serve immediately over hot cooked pasta, or transfer to a bottle and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
