If you’re like me, you’re constantly trying to feed your family new foods with the hope that they’ll love them and you can add them to your meal rotation. Most of my attempts result in an “eh, it’s good but not great” response from my semi-picky family. But this time I hit a home run with my Pink Primavera Sauce!
I was a little worried about serving this pink primavera to my family because I’m the only one who likes beets, but Abby gave it an emphatic thumbs up, Picky Husband went back for seconds (the ultimate compliment, amirite?), and Luke, well, rubbed it all over himself. So if you don’t typically like beets, this might be a way for you to eat them!
I got the idea from a jar of Trader Joe’s Creamy Pink Primavera Pasta Sauce, which I’ve heard is very tasty. That version contains heavy cream, olive oil, and 520 mg sodium per serving. I noted the ingredients and set out to make my own healthier version. I haven’t tasted the TJ’s version, so I can’t claim this tastes the same, but I can attest that it tastes pretty darn good!
And, you know, it’s kinda pretty!
This pink primavera is the perfect blend of sweet, savory, and creamy. Plus, it’s packed with “hidden” veggies, which is great for those picky eaters! Serve it with any kind of pasta, but I prefer pasta made from lentils or chickpeas to maximize the nutrients. I also recommend tossing arugula or baby spinach in with the drained pasta to add some greens.
Bonus: This recipe may seem like a lot of work for pasta sauce, but it makes A LOT. I put half in the freezer for another time, then still had plenty left after I served the other half to my family of four.
This pink primavera sauce would also be fantastic on a veggie burger or veggie sandwich!
- 3 medium red beets, peeled/scrubbed and chopped (~1¼ lb.)
- ½ cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 carrot, chopped
- ½ cup raw cashews (OR 2-3 Tbs. coconut cream if nut free)
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. fennel seeds
- 1 tsp. ginger puree
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup cooked chickpeas
- 3 Tbs. tomato paste
- ¼ cup applesauce
- 1 tsp. dried parsley
- 1 Tbs. lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Combine the beets, onion, carrot, and cashews (if using) in a large pot. Add about one inch of water, cover, and cook over medium heat until the beets are fork tender, roughly 20 mins.
- While the veggies and cashews are softening, measure out the onion powder, garlic powder, fennel seeds, and ginger puree into a tiny bowl and set aside. To a blender, add the water, chickpeas, tomato paste, applesauce, parsley, lemon juice, salt (I'd start with ½ tsp. and add more after tasting the blended sauce), pepper, and coconut cream (if not using cashews).
- When the veggies are fork tender, add the spice mixture to the pot and stir. Carefully pour the contents of the pot into the blender and blend on high until completely smooth, adding water until desired consistency is reached. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Serve over your favorite pasta, as a spread, or as a dip!
If you'd like your sauce to be a lighter pink, simply add more cashews or coconut cream.
I’m very excited about this pink primavera recipe! I hope you all try it and love it. It may be a new Valentine’s Day dinner tradition — who knows?
If you make this recipe, please post it to Instagram and tag me (@maryrossf)! I love seeing your creations 🙂
♥ ♥ ♥
Also try my Roasted Vegetable Alfredo Bake!
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