Name: Roasted Beetroot Pasta Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 240 g raw macaroni (or another pasta, enough for 4, reserve at least 1/2 of water from boiling the pasta); 200 g beetroot (peeled weight); 1 red onion (peeled, cut into 6 wedges); 2 garlic cloves (whole, peeled); 2 tbsp yogurt; 2 tbsp olive oil; 3 tbsp parmesan cheese (finely grated, ensure it's vegetarian if required); Sea salt and pepper to taste

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Roasted beetroot pasta is a simple, delicious vegetarian meal idea. It contains a handful of ingredients and is incredibly easy to put together. Your mac'n cheese never looked so good!

Today on the blog a dish that's not only quick to make it's full of colour and flavour - roasted beetroot pasta.

When it comes to quick and easy meals pasta is usually my first choice. It cooks in minutes and can be combined with a variety of ingredients, not necessarily including tomatoes. Or a heavy cheese sauce.

Beetroot can be prepared using different methods but for this pasta recipe I decided to roast it. To speed things up I peeled the beets and cut into wedges before popping in the oven. I wanted the beetroot to cook quickly and evenly.

To make things even simpler (as well as for added flavour) I roasted the beetroot along with garlic and onion. This made assembling this beetroot pasta very quick and easy.

Beet pasta ingredients

Pasta: Use any pasta shapes. Reserve some of the pasta water to adjust the consistency of the sauce later.
Beets: Peel and cut these into wedges before roasting.
Red onion and garlic: Enhance the flavour of the sauce.
Oil: Used to coat the vegetables before roasting.
Yogurt: Helps to tone down the sweetness and earthy flavour of the beetroot.
Parmesan: Adds more depth of flavour.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1.Preheat the oven to 200 C. Peel the beets and cut into wedges. Place in a tray 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.

2. Roast in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes or until the beetroot is 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).

In the meantime boil the pasta according to packet instructions (reserve at least ½ cup of water from boiling the pasta).

3. Remove the beets and onion from the oven, combine with the garlic, 2 tablespoons of yogurt and water from cooking the pasta (start with ⅓ cup and add more if needed later) and puree. Season to taste.

4. Combine the cooked pasta with the beetroot 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.

Top tips and FAQs

Half way 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 may have to reheat the sauce before combining with the pasta.
The pasta: Use any pasta shapes you like.
Best served immediately. Leftovers 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 this dish.

Serving suggestions

This beet pasta makes a great vegetarian lunch. I like to serve it with a handful of peppery, slightly nutty tasting arugula (rocket leaves), a drizzle of oil and seasoning, but any simple salad would do. Grilled zucchini, cooked or steamed broccoli, garden peas or green beans are also good choices.

Related recipes

Check out also this collection of healthy vegetarian pasta meals.

Keep in touch

If you make this creamy beet pasta I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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