Carrot Pasta

What is Carrot Pasta?

This is a simple pasta dish prepared with shredded carrots and some pantry staples. You can make it with any type of dried pasta you have on hand. And turn this into a vegan recipe by substituting veggie bouillon for chicken bouillon powder.

Ingredient Notes

Here are some useful notes on the ingredients you need to make carrot pasta.

Pasta

You can pick any pasta of your choice. Gluten-free varieties will also work fine. I like to use spaghetti as it complements the long shreds of carrots. But really, any pasta is good.

Cook the pasta as per the package instructions. If your cooked pasta is going to sit out for some time before you add it to the rest of the ingredients, drizzle and mix a little olive oil (or any cooking oil you prefer) after you drain the water. This will prevent the pasta from clumping together.

Carrots

You can use store-bought shredded carrots. Or just quickly shred fresh carrots at home using a food processor.

I’ve shared a couple of other ways of shredding carrots in the FAQs section down below.

Garlic

Use finely chopped garlic.

Garlic paste or minced or grated garlic will also work.

However, if you use any of these variations, make sure to keep the heat low as you begin to cook. The liquid in the grated garlic or paste reacts with the heated oil, causing a lot of splattering and popping.

On a side note, if you frequently use fresh garlic, you may find this post very useful. I tested several different ways of peeling garlic to find the easiest method.

Olive Oil

This is for sauteing garlic and carrots. You can substitute it with any other cooking oil you prefer.

Flavorings for the Sauce

• Ginger - fresh is always better. Grated ginger works best because it almost dissolves in the sauce, giving a consistent flavor. But finely chopped ginger will work too. If you don’t have fresh ginger on hand, you can use ground ginger (ginger powder), but reduce the quantity to half, as it's more potent than fresh ginger;
• Soy Sauce - or use tamari instead as a gluten-free option;
• Sugar - use brown or white sugar;
• Sesame oil - don’t skip this; it packs a lot of flavor;
• Sriracha - increase or decrease the quantity depending on your heat preference. The taste and spiciness may vary depending on the brand you use;
• Chicken bouillon - use chicken bouillon powder or cubes. A single 4 to 5 gram chicken cube is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of bouillon powder. However, check the box of your bouillon cube to be sure. Use no more than the amount needed to produce 1 cup of stock or broth to replace 1 teaspoon of bouillon powder. If you are not careful with the quantity, your food may become too salty. You can also substitute it with vegetable bouillon to make this dish vegan or vegetarian;
• Vinegar - Regular/distilled white vinegar works just fine. Or use an equal quantity of lime or lemon juice, if you prefer;
• Black pepper - freshly cracked;
• Water - so the sauce becomes a little runny and coats all the pasta uniformly.

Peanuts

Crush some roasted and salted peanuts using a pestle and mortar. Or put some peanuts in a ziploc bag and crush them using the flat side of a small saucepan. You don’t want to skip peanuts (unless there are allergies or health reasons). Their taste and texture elevate this dish so well.

Crushed, roasted cashews are a good substitute.

Sesame Seeds

These are for garnish. Feel free to skip it if you don’t have some on hand.

Instructions (Step-by-Step Photos)

Follow these simple, photo-assisted instructions to prepare this carrot pasta. Don't forget to check out the recipe card down below for the printable version of this recipe with detailed instructions and all the important tips and notes.

Substitutions

Here are some ingredient substitutions you can use.

• Soy Sauce - tamari (Japanese version of soy sauce) is a good gluten-free option.
• Chicken Bouillon - use veggie bouillon to make this dish vegan-friendly.
• Vinegar - use an equal quantity of lime or lemon juice if you like.
• Roasted Peanuts - use roasted cashew nuts instead.

Variations

• Spice-Level: Reduce the amount of Sriracha by half if you want the spice level of this dish to be very low or if you are unsure that the specified amount of Sriracha is adequate for your liking. Then, taste the cooked dish and add extra sriracha if needed.
• Vegan Pasta: Replace the chicken bouillon with vegetable bouillon (powder or cube) to make vegan carrot pasta.
• More Veggies: Along with the shredded carrots, you can add more veggies such as bell peppers or snow peas. Depending on the quantity of veggies used, you may need to increase the amount of sauce, otherwise, all of the flavors will be muted.

Prepping Ahead and Storage

The pasta tastes best when it's fresh, but it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days. I wouldn't recommend freezing it. You can, however, do some of the prep ahead of time.

The sauce can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. However, give it a thorough stir before using.

Also, if you are not using pre-shredded store-bought carrots, you can shred the carrots up to 2 days in advance and keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Tips for Recipe Success

• If you’re boiling pasta a bit in advance, coat the drained noodles with a little cooking oil to prevent the pasta from sticking together.
• Use fresh ginger and garlic for the best results.
• Don’t skip the peanuts (or cashews). The crunch and flavor from the nuts bring this dish together.
• For a nutritious and delicious meal, try to keep the weight ratio of vegetables to pasta at 1 to 1.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Serving Suggestions

This carrot pasta can be served as a side dish or as a main course. It also goes great with grilled chicken.

If you want more crunch, add some extra crushed peanuts. As a garnish, you can also add some chopped cilantro or coriander.