Creamy Pumpkin Marinara by Cookie and Kate
This pumpkin marinara recipe tastes like fall. It's comforting like mac and cheese, but lighter and full of vegetables! Just add pasta. Recipe yields about 4 cups sauce (enough to generously coat 12 ounces/4 modest servings of pasta).
Original recipe
Time
Prep: 10mins Cook: 15mins Total: 25mins
Nutrition
- Calories
- 156 calories
- Carbohydrate content
- 16 g
- Cholesterol content
- 7.6 mg
- Fat content
- 10.5 g
- Fiber content
- 5.4 g
- Protein content
- 2.4 g
- Saturated fat content
- 3 g
- Serving size
- 1 cup (Enough for 3 to 4 ounces of pasta. Pasta and garnishes are not included.)
- Sodium content
- 354.1 mg
- Sugar content
- 7.4 g
- Trans fat content
- 0 g
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 can (15 ounces) diced or crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin purée
- 1 to 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 to 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Finely grated Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (both optional)
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once it’s shimmering, add the onion, bell pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions and pepper are very tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the garlic, oregano, tarragon, and cinnamon. While stirring, cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for 1 minute, while stirring. Add the pumpkin purée and stir to combine. Continue simmering for 5 minutes, then remove it from the heat.
- Carefully transfer the mixture to your blender. Add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon vinegar. Blend until very smooth and creamy.
- Season generously with freshly ground black pepper and additional salt (I usually add another 1/4 teaspoon salt). For a more luxurious sauce, add another tablespoon of butter, or for more tangy complexity, add another teaspoon of vinegar. Blend to combine.
- Stir into warm pasta. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan and chopped parsley on top.