This week was one of those weeks where I did not feel like cooking. This dragging feeling comes about once or twice a month for me and is usually worse in the fall when it becomes time to slow down and hibernate in my house. My brain, normally browsing Pinterest eagerly to see what my taste buds are craving, turns off all desire for the creativity of cooking. That could come from day-to-day fatigue, wanting to just put my feet up and binge-watch something on Netflix, or even just being tired of doing dishes.
But my dietary restrictions and my body’s need for healthy foods are never on vacation. If I make the decision to opt for fast food or take-out, I’m also making the decision to spend more money (because gluten-free food often comes with added costs) or to deal with oily skin or a grumbly stomach for the next few days. When I put it this way for myself, I almost always begrudgingly whip something up at home. My basic go-to “I don’t feel like cooking” food is normally in the form of pasta.
While this pasta sauce recipe isn’t the quickest, it does take very little effort—you just “set it, and forget it!” Sautée for a couple of minutes, dump everything else into the pot, watch an episode of your favorite TV show, go on a treasure hunt (I’ll explain below), and voilà! You’ve got a homemade pasta sauce you can feel good about.
I know you’re thinking it, so I’ll just address it: yes, this is another pumpkin recipe! You know how I feel about seasonal ingredients. It just so happens that this ingredient is super versatile and can make any kind of recipe fall friendly! Plus, it’s only the end of September. We are just getting started here!
*Notes:
1) In this recipe, I opt for fresh herbs because they make the house (and my hands) smell amazing, they’re nutritious, and are softer than the dried herbs. (I also love the word “sprigs.”)
However, if you choose to forego the fresh herbs, replace the sprigs with about 1 teaspoon of the dried variety.
2) I also chose to take out most of the chunks in the sauce after cooking because I love a creamy sauce and it makes for a more subtle flavor.
If you want a bolder flavor, chop up and leave in the onion, garlic, carrot, and herbs!
3) I love crushing my tomatoes by hand because it’s fun and that’s the way Giada De Laurentiis does it.
If you desire a smoother sauce or don’t like crushing things with your hands, you can either use a blender to break up the tomatoes or use a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes/tomato puree.
Pumpkin Herb Pasta Sauce
Servings: 4
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Yellow Onion (cut into quarters)
4 cloves Garlic
1 Peeled Carrot (cut in half)
1 can (28 oz) Whole Peeled Tomatoes
1 can (15.5 oz) Pumpkin
1/4 cup Vegetable stock
2 sprigs Fresh Rosemary
2 sprigs Fresh Sage
4 sprigs Fresh Thyme
1 handful Fresh Basil
1/2 teaspoon Salt (plus more to taste)
- In a place a large skillet or sauce pot over low heat. Pour in the olive oil and swirl it around to coat the bottom of the pot. Then, carefully place the onion, garlic, and carrot into the oil, using a spatula to coat them with the oil.
- While your veggies are softening, pour the can of tomatoes into a medium-sized bowl. With clean hands, gently crush the tomatoes (beware of juice squirting out!) until they are demolished into small pieces. After, stir in the pumpkin and vegetable stock.
- Once the onions and garlic are soft and translucent, drop in the rosemary, sage, and thyme. Mix the herbs in with the vegetables until fragrant (about 1 minute).
- Pour in the tomato and pumpkin mixture to the pot and add the basil and salt. Stir to ensure all the ingredients are distributed throughout the mix.
- Cover the pot and check to make sure the sauce is softly bubbling.
- Set a timer for 1 hour and participate in an activity of choice (I chose to read my current book, The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo).
- Once an hour has gone by, it’s time for the treasure hunt! Using tongs, gingerly dig around and remove the big items: the onion, garlic, carrot, and herb sprigs. Make sure to eat at least one garlic clove—it should be soft, sweet, and heavenly after an hour-long sauce bath.
- Spoon over your pasta of choice, adding veggie broth or pasta water if a thinner sauce is desired. Enjoy!
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