Roasted Beet Pasta Salad with Balsamic Dressing

This beet pasta salad features roasted beets and orzo pasta with fresh herbs, tangy feta and easy balsamic dressing. It is a delicious, colourful, light dish, perfect served either warm or chilled. Simple to make and ready in under 45 minutes.

See also creamy beet pasta!

This beet pasta salad combines the earthy sweetness of roasted beets, mellow pasta, fragrant herbs and tangy balsamic dressing for a delicious vegetarian meal. It's easy to customise depending on personal preferences and different dietary needs (see suggestions at the bottom of the post). It's also easy to make, healthy and delicious!

Making balsamic beet and pasta salad involves first roasting the beets and cooking the pasta then preparing a 4-ingredient dressing and putting it all together along with the rest of the ingredients. If you prepare the main components of the salad in advance it can ready in minutes.

Beet pasta salad ingredients and substitutions

• Beets: use firm beets with smooth skin (softness and wrinkly skin mean that the beets aren't fresh).
• Pasta: I chose orzo pasta, which has a lovely, soft texture, ideal to use in a salad (see also caprese orzo pesto salad). You can use small pasta shells or another small pasta instead, if preferred (you may need to increase the amount to 1.5 cups).
• Feta: you can either crumble or cut the feta into cubes. Alternatively use goats' cheese, Greek manouri cheese or similar. As a vegan alternative use capers and more lemon juice.
• Garlic granules.
• Fresh herbs: I used mint and lemon thyme (you can use regular). Adjust the amounts to your preference.
• Salad leaves: add colour and texture. I used mixed salad leaves, but you can use just spinach or arugula/rocket leaves.
• Dressing: the dressing contains extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and honey (maple syrup is a good alternative).
• Salt and pepper to taste.

How to prepare the beets

Most beet salad recipes recommend roasting the beets whole, but I decided to prepare them a little differently. I peeled then cut them into chunks then coated in seasoning and oil before roasting. This method is quick and produces slightly crispy, delicious beets (see also beet risotto where I used a similar method).

TIP: I don't recommend using unpeeled beets. You might not only find grit in your salad but the beets will taste quite earthy.

How to make pasta salad with beets: step-by-step

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F/200 C/180 fan/gas mark 6. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Prepare beets: Peel, halve then quarter each beet and cut into approx. 1 cm/0.5'' wedges. Cut the wedges in half, place in a large mixing bowl and pat dry with a paper towel. Add about ⅓ teaspoon of salt, pepper to taste, garlic granules and 1 tablespoon of oil. Stir until thoroughly coated.

3. Roast beets: Spread the beets on top of the baking sheet and roast in the centre of the oven for 35 minutes, until tender. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. In the meantime boil the pasta.

4. Boil pasta: Boil the pasta in salted water according to packet instructions (it should be cooked a little al dente). Strain, rinse with cold water and set aside to drain completely.

5. Make dressing: Place the dressing ingredients in a bowl and stir thoroughly.

6. Assemble salad: Combine the beets, pasta, dressing, zest of ½ lemon, mint and 1 tablespoon of the thyme. Stir together and adjust the seasoning if required. Add the salad leaves and feta and stir to combine.

7. Serve: Scatter the rest of the lemon zest and thyme, pomegranate seeds (if using) and serve with lemon wedges.

Serving suggestions

Serve this sweet and zesty beet pasta salad as a stand-alone vegetarian meal, either cold or warm. To enjoy it warm combine the beets straight from the oven with freshly cooked pasta and the rest of the ingredients.

This dish is also delicious with garlic bread as well as chicken and fish dishes, such as crusted chicken, crusted salmon, salmon fish cakes or potato fish cakes.

Can I make it ahead

I don't recommend making the entire recipe ahead, but you can prepare the ingredients in advance and assemble this easy beet and pasta salad in minutes.

You can roast the beets, cool completely then place in a bowl, cover and refrigerate.

You can also boil the pasta and once drained and cooled completely stir in a drizzle of oil (to prevent it becoming sticky), cover and refrigerate overnight. Prepare the dressing, pour into a small jar and keep in the fridge for several days (shake before using).

Can I use ready-cooked beets

I strongly advise against it. Ready-cooked vacuum packed beets tend to be overcooked and lack flavour. And there is really not much you can do about it even if you use more dressing. Your beet and pasta salad meal will still taste a little bland.

Optional ingredients you can use

• Protein: cooked chickpeas or leftover chicken.
• Texture: Walnuts, toasted pecans or sunflower seeds.
• Freshness: Chopped scallions/green onions.

Top tips

• I recommend using kitchen gloves when handling the beets.
• For best results peel the beets before cutting and roasting (unpeeled beets might taste too earthy in this salad).
• Use a large baking sheet so the beets have lots of room to roast evenly.
• You can serve this salad with roast feta instead of raw. Simply remove the beets from the oven after 20 minutes, add chunks of feta and return to the oven for 15 more minutes.
• Serve either cold or warm.
• If you are planning to enjoy leftovers later add salad leaves to individual portions. This balsamic beet salad with pasta can be refrigerated (without the leaves) covered, for up to 3 days.
• Not suitable for freezing.

More salads with beets to try next

• Quinoa Beets Salad with Orange
• Polish-Style Beet and Potato Salad
• Beet Salsa with Pomegranate
• Beet Carpaccio Recipe
• Polish Cold Beet Salad
• Polish Beet Slaw

See also these other easy, delicious salad recipes!

Recipe

Keep in touch!

Have you made this roasted beet pasta salad? I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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