This carrot pasta comes together in just 15 minutes and is a guaranteed hit, even with picky eaters. The shredded carrots cook quickly, and the crushed peanuts add a nice bit of crunch.
Ingredient Notes
Here are a couple of useful notes on the ingredients you need to make carrot pasta.
- You can grab pre-shredded carrots at the store or quickly shred fresh ones at home with a food processor.
- For bouillon, you can use powder, concentrate, or cubes. A typical 4 to 5-gram chicken bouillon cube is about the same as 1 teaspoon of powder or concentrate, but it’s always good to double-check the label. Just make sure you don’t use more than what you’d need for 1 cup of broth, or it could get too salty. If you want to make it vegan or vegetarian, just swap in vegetable bouillon.
Instructions
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.
Mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Stir and set aside.
Boil pasta as per the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
In a pan, heat some olive oil over medium-low heat.
Add minced or grated garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
Add shredded carrots to the pan.
Saute the carrots for 2 to 3 minutes.
Then add the cooked pasta to the pan.
Add the sauce (mix the sauce well before adding).
Give everything a good mix (but be gentle).
Dish out, sprinkle sesame seeds and crushed peanuts, and enjoy.
Top Tips
- 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.
Carrot Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 large carrots, shredded (or 3 heaping cups of shredded carrots) - around 300 grams or 10 ounces
- 8 ounces (227 g) pasta - any pasta of your choice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil - or any cooking oil you prefer
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated - around 2 teaspoons of minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons roasted and salted peanuts, crushed - see Note 1 below
- some sesame seeds for garnish - optional
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce - see Note 2 below
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil - roasted sesame oil will also work
- 1 teaspoon sriracha - adjust the quantity to taste
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar - see Note 3 below
- 1 teaspoon black pepper - freshly cracked
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder - see Note 4 below
- ½ teaspoon sugar - brown or white
- ¼ cup (59 ml) water
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for the sauce (soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, ginger, vinegar, black pepper, chicken bouillon, sugar, and water). Stir well and set aside.
- Boil the pasta as per the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a wide pan, wok, or skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
- Then add the shredded carrots and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the boiled and drained pasta to the pan.
- Mix the sauce again and add it to the pan. Give everything a good but gentle mix.
- Turn off the heat. Dish out the pasta, sprinkle sesame seeds and crushed peanuts, and enjoy.
Important Notes
- Note 1: Peanuts - crush the 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. Don't crush them too small. Crushed, roasted cashews can be used as a substitute.
- Note 2: Soy Sauce - use tamari instead as a gluten-free option.
- Note 3: Vinegar - an equal quantity of lime or lemon juice can be used as a substitute.
- Note 4: Chicken Bouillon - you can also use chicken bouillon cubes. Or substitute with vegetable bouillon to make this dish vegan or vegetarian. A single 4 to 5 gram 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.
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