Roasted Beet Pasta
Sweet roasted beet pasta with crumbled feta and chopped nuts is the perfect way to change up your pasta game. Made with just a few simple ingredients, this vibrant sauce comes out so creamy and delicious.
It’s made by blending roasted beets with ricotta cheese, cashews, milk and a few other simple flavorings. The gorgeous pink sauce then gets mixed in with your favorite pasta and garnished with fresh herbs and nuts.
Pretty Pink Sauce
This pretty pink pasta sauce was trending on Tiktok a while back, and for good reason. It’s easy to make, tastes delicious, and is almost too pretty to eat. The simple sauce packs in so much flavor, and is a delicious way to incorporate more fiber-filled beets into your diet.
Here are a few ways I like to serve this dish:
- with my Avocado Chickpea Salad
- as a side dish to my Pistachio Crusted Salmon
- with my Za’atar Roasted Cauliflower as a veggie side dish
This recipe is so simple to make, yet packed with flavor. It’s a delicious way to elevate your pasta sauce, and the pretty pink color is always a crowd pleaser.
You can even make this plant-based by swapping your favorite plant-based ricotta in the sauce.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- Whole beets, raw– you can save time by using pre-cooked packaged beets, but note the color will be less vibrant and more of a lighter pink
- Cottage cheese or ricotta
- Raw cashews, or sub more cheese
- Reserved pasta sauce
- Lemon juice
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Salt
- Toppings: feta cheese, crushed pistachios and fresh mint
How to make roasted beet pasta
- Start by peeling and chopping fresh beets into 1 inch pieces. Toss them in olive oil and salt, then bake them for about 30 minutes until fork tender
- Prepare your pasta al dente for best texture- I love using a rigatoni or similar shape for this recipe
- Once the beets are ready, blend them together with some reserved pasta water, raw cashews, ricotta, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and salt
- Add the sauce to a skillet on low heat and toss together with the pasta
- Top your dish with crushed nuts and crumbled feta cheese when serving
The roasted beet pasta sauce is the perfect combination of fiber, fat and a little protein. You can serve this with a bean based pasta for even more protein, or as a side with a fresh salad and baked salmon.
Serving and reheating suggestions
This recipe is best served fresh, so I suggest mixing the sauce and the pasta right before serving for best results. If you prepare this earlier in the day and plan to reheat it on a pan, add a little extra milk or water to the pan when reheating for added creaminess.
I can’t wait for you guys to try this recipe. It’s going to be a new favorite!
Serve with:
Harissa Silan (Date Syrup) Salmon
Crunchy Parmesan Kale Salad
Pan-seared Branzino
Balsamic Date Kale Salad with Fried Halloumi
Roasted Beet Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 oz rigatoni, or pasta of choice
- 2 small raw beets or 1 large, about 1 cup cubed pieces
- 1/4 cup raw cashews, or sub 1/4 cup feta cheese
- 1/2 cup ricotta or cottage cheese
- 1/2-3/4 cups reserved pasta water
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp olive oil, plus more to roast the beets
- 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to roast the beets
Top with
- 1/3 cup chopped pistachios or walnuts
- Crumbled feta or goat cheese
- Fresh mint or basil
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F
- Peel and dice the beets into 1 inch pieces, you'll need about 1 cup cubed pieces. Add them to a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt
- Roast the beets for about 30-35 minutes, they don’t need to be completely soft
- While they’re cooking, cook your pasta as instructed on package and reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining. I like to cook my pasta al dente for best results
- Once the beets are ready, add them to a blender with 1/2 cup pasta water, the cashews, ricotta, 1/2 tsp salt, lemon juice, 1 tsp of olive oil and garlic. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Add more water as needed to thin out the sauce.
- Heat a large pan or pot over medium/low heat and pour in the beet sauce. Cook for about 1 minute
- Lower the flame and add in the pasta. Stir well until all of the pasta is coated. If preparing ahead, I suggest mixing the pasta into the sauce right before serving for best results. If reheating, you may need to add a little extra water or milk to the thin out the sauce.
- Serve warm topped with chopped nuts, fresh herbs and crumbled feta cheese.
Yes you should make this, absolutely delicious. This worked exactly as written, thanks!
As there are options, what I choose was ricotta & cashews
I also added one heaped teaspoon of nutritional yeast.
Thank you, Ali!