From humble beginnings: pasta with carrot sauce

This dish was a bit of a revelation to me. In my kitchen carrots are the most humble of vegetables, good for adding bulk to stews or a background flavour note to soup. Occasionally they might come to the fore in a soup, but only if paired with something punchy like coriander, or perhaps orange.

Who knew that they could also be the main ingredient of a delicious pasta sauce?

This is a budget-friendly dinner (especially if your soft cheese is an own-brand supermarket version). Oh, and did I mention that it's low in fat too?

It does help to have a food processor or blender, though you could probably mash the carrots until smooth if you wanted to. If you go down this route, make sure the carrots are quite well cooked to make mashing easier, and be aware that it won't be as silky as if you use a food processor or blender.

I like to buy herbs in big bunches from my local Asian store, but then I feel compelled to use up the rest of the bunch in other dishes. If you're like me and have leftover dill after making this dish, check out this recipe.

Ingredients

Serves 2

250g dried pasta shapes - fusilli works well
300g carrots, topped and tailed
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic
100g soft cheese (I use low fat, but you don't have to)
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (you can use 1 tbsp fresh thyme or lemon thyme if you prefer), plus a sprig or two to garnish
1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
Up to 100ml milk
Grated Parmesan, to serve (optional)

Method

Scrub the carrots and slice into rounds of medium thickness. Put them in a saucepan with the whole garlic clove, and boil until the carrots are tender.

Drain the carrots and put in a blender/food processor with the garlic, soft cheese, lemon juice, herbs, and cayenne pepper if using. Blend until smooth, adding enough milk to make a thick sauce-like consistency. Season to taste.

If you don't have a blender or food processor, match the carrots well and stir in all the other ingredients.

Cook the pasta and stir in your carrot sauce. Garnish with the reserved herb sprigs. Serve straight away, with some grated Parmesan, if you wish.