Name: Pasta with Roasted Beets
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 3 cups uncooked pasta (enough for 4, reserve at least ½ cup pasta water.); 7.05 ounces beetroot (peeled weight); 1 red onion (peeled, cut into 6 wedges); 2 garlic cloves (whole, peeled); 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice (or 1 tsp balsamic vinegar); 2 tablespoons olive oil; 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese (finely grated, ensure it's vegetarian if required); Sea salt and pepper to taste

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Pasta with beets contains a handful of ingredients and is incredibly easy to put together. Made with roasted beets for more flavour and colour. Ready in under 45 minutes!

Beetroot pasta in purple bowl with spoon, blue-and-white stripy cloth and raw beetroot on wooden board in background.

Making this pasta with beets involves roasting the beets along with onion and garlic, pureeing into a creamy, delicious sauce and simply combining with the pasta. The beets are not just used as a dye for the pasta!

Beet pasta is not only super easy to make, versatile and delicious, it's also full of goodness! Beets are super nutritious, high in fibre, vitamins and minerals. One serving of this dish (pasta plus sauce) contains approx. 270 calories, while 1 serving of just the sauce contains only 107 calories! Also, unlike most pasta dishes this one is low in fat.

Beets are perfect with pasta

because they

create a rich sauce, ideal to serve with pasta,
are a great natural dye turning plain pasta into a striking looking dish,
make a nutritious vegetarian pasta dinner.

How to prepare the beets

Beets can be prepared using several methods depending on the recipe. For example, in recipes that require shredded beets roasting beets whole works well (see horseradish beets). You can also boil the beets, which I sometimes do for salads (as in this beet salsa).

For this pasta with beets I decided to cut the beets into wedges then roast them. This method ensures the beets cook quickly, evenly and retain all of their fantastic colour and rich flavour. Perfect for turning into a delicious, vibrant sauce and combining with pasta! (I also used this method to make beet risotto).

TIP: I recommend peeling the beets before roasting to ensure your pasta does not taste too earthy.

Beet pasta ingredients and substitutions

Ingredients for making pasta with beets in individual dishes. — Pasta with beets ingredients.

Pasta: Use your favourite pasta. Reserve some of the pasta water to adjust the consistency of the sauce later.
Beets: Choose firm beets with a smooth skin. Raw beets that feel soft aren't fresh. I do not recommend using ready-cooked vacuum packed beets. They lack flavour.
Red onion and garlic: Enhance the flavour of the sauce.
Olive oil: Used to coat the vegetables before roasting.
Lemon juice: Adds a hint of acidity and helps preserve the vibrant colour of the beets. You can use balsamic vinegar instead if preferred (add 1 teaspoon to start with).
Parmesan: Adds more depth of flavour. For a vegan option add 1-2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast or omit altogether.
Salt and pepper to taste.

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

1.Prepare beets: Preheat the oven to 400 F/ 200 C/ gas mark 6. Peel the beets and cut into wedges. Arrange in a large shallow pan or on top of a baking sheet along with the red onion and garlic cloves, season and drizzle over about 2 tablespoons of oil. Stir.

Beet wedges and red onion wedges with 2 garlic cloves in tray.

2. Roast: Roast in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes or until the beets are tender. Halfway through stir the vegetables, remove the garlic from the oven and set aside (it needs less roasting time than the beets and onion).

Roasted beetroot and red onion wedges in tray with red spatula.

3. Boil pasta: In the meantime boil the pasta in salted water according to packet instructions (reserve at least ½ cup of pasta water).

4. Puree beets: Remove the beets and onion from the oven, combine with the garlic, lemon juice and pasta water (start with ⅓ cup and add more if needed later) and puree. Season to taste.

Beetroot puree in tall container with stick blender end inside.

5. Assemble: Combine the cooked pasta with the beet sauce, add 3 tablespoons of finely grated parmesan, season to taste and stir thoroughly. Heat up and add a bit more water if needed and serve immediately.

Macaroni, beet sauce and grated cheese in pot with spoon.

Serving suggestions

Toppings:

These can include:

Cheese: crumbled feta or goats' cheese,
Nuts/seeds: crushed pistachios, walnuts or pecans,
Herbs: a drizzle of pesto or chopped basil leaves.

Sides:

This beet pasta makes a delicious vegetarian dinner. I like to serve it with:

Salad leaves: such as peppery, slightly nutty tasting arugula (rocket leaves),
Simple salad: including coleslaw,
Vegetables: such as grilled zucchini, cooked or steamed broccoli, garden peas or green beans.

Top tips

Halfway through roasting the vegetables remove the garlic from the oven (it doesn't need to roast as long as the beetroot).
The sauce: Add the water gradually to get the consistency you want. You can also add a splash of single cream/half-and-half, or coconut milk for a creamier finish.
You may have to reheat the sauce before combining with the pasta.
The pasta: Works with all pasta shapes.
Best served immediately. Leftover pasta with beet sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. You may have to add a splash of water (and adjust the seasoning) when reheating your beetroot pasta.

Can I freeze this dish

Yes, you can, but I recommend only freezing the sauce and cooking the pasta just before serving. The process of freezing, defrosting and reheating might make the pasta soggy so it's best to boil and combine it with the beet sauce when you are ready to serve it. Freeze the sauce for up to 3 months in an airtight container.

Beetroot macaroni in purple bowl with spoon, raw beets on wooden board and stripy blue cloth in background.

Check out also this collection of easy vegetarian dinners including vegetarian pasta meals.

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