creamy pumpkin tomato sauce

Creamy Pumpkin Tomato Sauce

Does the combination of pumpkin and tomato sauce sound strange? I thought so when I first encountered a jar of it at Trader Joe’s, but I was intrigued. I went for it, knowing there’d be no shades of gray—I’d love it or I’d hate it. Spoiler alert: I loved it. Then I thought, it can’t be that hard to replicate! I was right. It’s actually very easy to make it from scratch at home.

 I usually have homemade tomato sauce at the ready in my freezer, so making this pumpkin tomato sauce is quick and easy. You could start by making your own sauce, or cut corners and use jarred sauce. That said, I’m very picky about jarred sauce, meaning I dislike most of them. The exception is Rao’s. I usually have a jar in the pantry for emergencies.

Do not substitute milk or half-and-half for the cream. It’s the fat content in the cream that keeps the dairy from curdling the sauce. If you don’t have, or don’t want to use cream, just leave it out. The sauce will be…well…less creamy, but still very good.

This sauce is great with my Sacchetti with Ricotta and Pears, which can be made with or without gorgonzola dulce. Check out that fun and delicious recipe, which was made as part of my menu for Parasha Lech Lecha.

Pumpkin Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups marinara sauce, homemade or for a good jarred version, Rao’s

  • 1 can pumpkin purée (not pie filling)

  • a small glug of good olive oil

  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped

  • ½ red bell pepper, finely chopped

  • 1 small onion, finely minced

  • ½  teaspoon cinnamon

  • ½ teaspoon allspice

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • ½ cup heavy cream

Method:

  • In a saucepan big enough to hold all the ingredients, warm a small glug of olive oil.

  • Add the diced pepper and the onion, and sauté until the vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent.

  • Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.

  • Stir in the cinnamon and allspice, then add the tomato sauce, the pumpkin purée, and the honey.

  • Keep it at a low simmer for about 20 minutes, for the pumpkin to cook and the flavors to meld.

  • Then stir in the cream and warm it through, without boiling.

  • Serve over the pasta of your choice.