You taste the tomato, and you taste the pumpkin. It turns out to be a very interesting combination. This delicious and unusual Pumpkin Marinara is thick, creamy, and flavorful … but it has a seemingly-impossible lightness. Makes a fantastic pasta sauce.
Pumpkin Marinara
Course: Dinner5
cups of marinaraSauté, simmer, blend, concentrate.
Ingredients
2 Tbs (garlic-infused) olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp salt, divided
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
½ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp dried tarragon
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 can (15-17 ounces) diced or crushed tomatoes
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin purée
2 Tbs butter
1-2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Coarsely ground black pepper
Finely grated Parmesan, for garnish (optional)
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat (setting 4 out of 9). Once it’s shimmering, add the onion, bell pepper and ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring often, until the veg is tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the garlic, oregano, tarragon, and cinnamon. Cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add the pumpkin purée and 1-1/4 cups of water, and stir to combine. Simmer 5 minutes on lowest heat.
- Transfer the mixture to a blender, and blend on medium speed (setting 4 of 7) until smooth and creamy, but with some texture remaining (or to preference, see notes). Blend in butter and 1 teaspoon vinegar.
- Season generously with freshly ground black pepper and remaining salt (or to taste). For more tangy complexity, add remaining vinegar and blend to combine. If you wish for a thicker sauce with a somewhat more concentrated flavor, return the marinara to the pan and simmer over lowest heat for 10 minutes (or to preference).
- Stir into warm pasta. Serve with Parmesan and parsley.
Notes
- The marinara may be too thick to allow your blender to establish and maintain a vortex. You may need to periodically swish through the marinara with a spatula, and then resume blending. I resist using a higher speed, because I like the sauce to have a bit of texture.
Social Learning
You may wonder where you can find a 17-oz. can of tomato. I found it in a carton, rather than a can. I like the 17 ounces in this recipe, but 15 ounces is fine, and it’s not worth buying an extra 15-oz. or a single 28-oz. can just to come up with 17 ounces.
When it comes to ingredients, it’s not essential that you use a garlic-infused oil, but I do feel that it adds to the depth of flavor. You can get by with half the onion. The butter can be straight from the fridge. Between the heat of the sauce and the action of the blender, it’ll melt itself in quickly enough. Don’t skimp on the pepper, and if you can, don’t substitute finely ground pepper. The coarse pepper is beautiful in the marinara, and coming upon ocassional hits of it tastes great in this context.
The Backstory
Pumpkin Marinara feels like that cousin that Penne alla Vodka had been saying would be joining us for spring break, and you really hadn’t paid attention, because you are not jumping on that it’s-pumpkin-spice-season bandwagon again. But then Pumpkin Marinara shows up, turns out to be unbelievably gorgeous and so incredibly sexy. Suddenly you’re completely head over heals about pumpkin again.
Pumpkin Marinara
Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man!, unless otherwise indicated. Thank you, Kesor. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. References Cookie and Kate. Make It Like a Man! has been ranked by Feedspot as #14 in the Top 30 Men’s Cooking Blogs. Keep up with us on Bloglovin’
Love this. I already know how this tastes because when my kids were little I put pumpkin purée in everything! but I love your other ingredients, too. It’s nice and garlicky!
Chef Mimi recently posted…Pesto Pinwheels
Thanks, Mimi!
Jeff, this sounds amazing. I love pumpkin ravioli so why not a sauce? I made some wild mushroom ravioli the other day that’s sitting in the freezer that will I know will pair with this perfectly. Thanks for the inspiration…
Hmm, that sounds like a great combo!
Simple, fuss free and so delicious!
angiesrecipes recently posted…Aubergine with Tahini Yoghurt and Zhoug
Thanks, Angie!
It’s a really interesting combination of the pumpkin and tomato. Since the sauce is almost vegan ( leave out the butter) I could give this one a try. This time of the year I like to enjoy the pumpkin flavors.
Judee recently posted…Pompeii Pasta Ala Tina
You could totally leave out the butter. It adds body … which you could either live without, or find another way to supply it.
Oh to be young and head-over-heels again. If if the object of my trance were pumpkin. GREG
I know exactly what you mean, Greg!
This sounds very interesting because I like all the ingredients. I only have one problem and that is my husband is not a pumpkin fan. 🙂 I’d have to eat and enjoy it at a restaurant. 🙂
Bummer!
So creamy, dreamy, and hearty! Also, I’ve never used tarragon in pasta recipes – I’m intrigued.
Thanks, Ben!
Sounds delicious! I admit to being someone who always has a few cans or pumpkin purée in the pantry this time of year. 🙂 Love the touch of balsamic vinegar — I bet that little bit put it over the top. ~Valentina
Thank you!
Ooh, I love the sweetness the pumpkin must add to the marinara. I imagine it balances out the tomatoes’ acidity nicely! What a fun idea for an autumnal pasta sauce.
Thanks, Liz!
we can’t find cans of pumpkin here but i guess you could just chop some up, and whack it in. Love the flavours here in your dish.
sherry recently posted…Amarena Cherry Cake – À La Alice Zaslavsky
You could roast and puree one, and maybe cook it down a bit. I’m sure there are recipes out there for doing that.
WoW great combination. I really want try this recipe. Our fresh pumkin season just beginning. Thanks.
Thanks! I hope you like it!
Well this will make a change from standard pasta marinara sauce. Love it Jeff!
Neil recently posted…Baked Chicken And Cauliflower
Thanks!
This is probably one of the most unusual combinations I’ve heard of, and now I’m intrigued to try it. (Of course without the garlic infused olive oil or garlic.) i’m not one to jump on the pumpkin spice bandwagon, so I’m reticent about pumpkin recipes in general. But can you combine it with tomatoes? Sounds amazing. also, I’m fascinated by the herbs in this. I don’t think I’ve ever seen tarragon and oregano paired together before.
I really like it. It’s creamy, but light. It’s mildly flavored, and I think the garlic adds a lot to it, so it you took it out, you might want to find a way to zazz it back up with something else. I think it’d be worth a try, David – it’s a good sauce.
Hahaha – I love your description of pumpkin marinara as penna alla vodka’s long-lost cousin. #NailedIt We used pumpkin in a pasta sauce last year (2 years ago? It all runs together…), and it was fantastic. It’s one of those things that sounds odd, but one bite and you’re hooked. I want to try your version with the coarse pepper now!
David @ Spiced recently posted…Sock It To Me Cake
Thanks, David!
I can definitely jump on this bandwagon, luscious, creamy and gorgeous. I am definitely not a pumpkin spice person so it’s very nice to see a recipe that uses pumpkin but not the spice!
Eva Taylor recently posted…Chewy Peanut Butter Squares Revisited
Right? Thank you!
Che meraviglia deve essere buonissimo! Grazie per la visita al blog 😊
Prego! Non vedo l’ora della mia prossima visita.
Post-Thanksgiving, some friends I’d invited for dinner begged, “Please. Nothing Thanksgiving-ish.”
So, I made your pumpkin marinara, served it with a salad and good bread, and it was a complete hit. I love it, and it surely will be in the rotation from now on.
shoreacres recently posted…A Life Both Reasonable and Proper
Wow! I’m so glad to hear that! That makes my day. My week! Thank you.
voilà une recette qui est a tester !
bon dimanche.
Thank you, Sandrine!
Truly an interesting recipe
Thank you!