Bugs Bunny's Carrot Cream Pasta Toss

     All I could I think about when I was making this pasta was Bugs Bunny in the carrot garden where the giant green tops are sticking out of the ground taller than he is. He would love this easy pasta recipe with roasted carrot cream sauce. I half expected him to come to the door while I was cooking.

   This is the perfect way to put those carrots languishing in your crisper drawer to good use. I know you have some. Roasted carrots are a delicious surprise. They lose their strong 'carrot' flavor and become mellow and sweet. They take on a butternut squash-ish flavor. If you put this in front of me claiming it was butternut cream I wouldn't doubt you. The carrots are oven-roasted with a few cloves of garlic, olive oil and thyme until soft and tender. Then their pureed with heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. At this point it could qualify as a soup - although you may want to add a little more liquid to it - or as a pasta sauce. A rich, dreamy pasta sauce. Next time I'm going to add some crumbled bacon or prosciutto to it, which I imagine would only make it dreamier. Then I wouldn't have to share with that rascally rabbit...their vegetarians, right?

Bugs Bunny's Pasta a.k.a. Roasted Carrot Cream Pasta Toss

(by Reeni)

1 pound of Organic Carrots, sliced in 1-inch rounds

5 cloves of garlic, whole, peeled

3 tablespoons Olive Oil

Sea or Kosher salt and fresh pepper

1 teaspoon Thyme

2/3 cup Heavy Cream

1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated, plus more for serving

1 pound of Pasta(like Barila Whole Grain)

1 and 1/2 cups of the Pasta Water

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl toss the carrot rounds and garlic with the Olive oil, using your hand to thoroughly coat the carrots and garlic with oil.

Season well with salt, pepper, and thyme.

2. Bake in a 9x13 inch baking pan about 45-50 minutes until carrots are tender. Take the pan out and toss halfway through the cooking time.

3. When carrots are tender, remove from oven. Cook the pasta in a generous amount of salted water to al dente according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking

make the carrot cream.

4. In a blender or food processor puree the carrots and garlic together with the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. When the pasta is done cooking reserve a cup and a half of the pasta water.

5. Drain pasta and add to a large mixing bowl. Toss with carrot cream, adding pasta water a little at a time until you get a nice consistency and the pasta is evenly coated.

6. Serve with Parmesan and crusty bread/garlic bread.

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Nutrition Information

Roasted Carrot Cream Pasta