Try this quick, delicious beetroot pasta recipe with cooked beets, walnuts, and feta cheese! Perfect for a fast weeknight dinner or a casual gathering with friends. With just a few ingredients and the time it takes for the pasta to cook, you're all set!
This beetroot pasta recipe is easy to make and combines earthy, nutty, and creamy flavors. You'll love the tasty mix of ingredients that'll have you coming back for more! Just cook the pasta and blend the ingredients for this beautiful beetroot pasta sauce while you wait. Then, mix everything, and dinner is ready!
If you like beetroot, try our Beetroot Apple Salad as well.ย
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โญ๏ธWhy will you love this beet pasta sauce?
- Easy dinner: The recipe needs just a few ingredients and cooks quickly.ย
- Healthy and delicious: Beetroot is a nutritious ingredient packed with vitamins.
- Flavor: Beetroot is sweet and earthy, unlike typical tomato or cream sauces.
- Colorful presentation: Beetroot colors your pasta beautifully, making it more appealing and perfect for guests or special occasions like Valentine's Day. Make Mascarpone Pasta next time; it is another pasta dish with a vibrant color.
- Adaptable sauce: You can customize the beetroot pasta with spices, herbs, cream, or different kinds of cheese and nuts to suit your taste.ย
๐Recipe ingredients and substitutions
- Beetroot: Vacuum-packed, cooked beets, not those preserved in vinegar.ย
- Pasta: Any kind of pasta noodles you like, either short or long shapes. You can also serve whole wheat pasta with this delicious beet sauce.ย
- Walnuts: They give structure to the sauce. Alternatively, you can use other nuts like pecans, pine nuts, or ground almonds.
- Feta: Its saltiness and freshness fit the beetroot flavors perfectly. Make sure you use fresh feta, preferably feta in brine. Goat cheese, cow, or sheep feta are all delicious; use your favorite sort. Try our Pumpkin and Feta Pizza, too. Or these delightful Spinach and Feta Muffins.
- Balsamic vinegar and lemon juice to lift the flavors of the beets. For extra flavor, and if your lemon is unwaxed, add a tiny beet of lemon zest to the sauce.ย
- Other ingredients: Garlic cloves, thyme, fine sea salt, and ground black pepper. Other fresh herbs like basil or oregano are great.
- Pasta cooking water: You might also need a bit to thin the beetroot pasta sauce if necessary.ย
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
๐Additions
- Cream, cream cheese, or creme fraiche: They add richness and a creamy texture to the sauce. If using single or heavy cream, leave out the water in the sauce.ย
- Cheese: Use Parmesan, goat, or blue cheese instead of feta.
- Spinach: I find spinach great, and if I have a handful of fresh baby spinach in the fridge, I always add it. Mix it with the drained hot pasta; the heat will be enough to make it wilt.ย
- Arugula: It fits the dish perfectly. You can stir some chopped arugula into the dish or serve the beetroot pasta with a simple arugula salad with red onion and vinaigrette.ย
- Protein: You can add cooked chicken, shrimp, or tofu, for instance. Or you can serve those on the side. Try Cast Iron Chicken Breast (the link opens in a new tab), Air Fryer Calamari, or Turkish Lamb Chops; they all go well with beetroot pasta.ย
- Extra serving of vegetables: Try sauteed kale, mushrooms, or zucchini.
๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ณHow to make beetroot sauce for pasta?
Step #1: Cook the pasta al dente according to the package directions. Once cooked, reserve about ยฝ cup of the cooking water and drain the rest.ย
Step #2: Place all the remaining ingredients in the food processor.
Step #3: Blend until perfectly smooth. If the sauce seems too thick, add some reserved pasta water and blend again.
Step #4: Combine pasta and beet puree, adjust the taste, and serve immediately.
๐Expert Tips
Pasta: Make sure it is cooked al dente; too soft, mushy pasta is not nice.ย
Cooking water: Reserve about ยฝ - 1 cup of the pasta water and add it gradually to the sauce if it seems too thick. The starchy water also helps to emulsify the sauce, creating a silky texture that coats the pasta evenly.
Balance the flavors with acid: To make a tasty sauce, balance the sweet beetroot with a bit of sourness (balsamic vinegar and lemon juice). They balance the sweetness and add brightness to the sauce.
โRecipe FAQs
Absolutely, but it will take longer to cook the dish.ย
Wrap them in aluminum foil, place them on a baking sheet, and roast at 400ยฐF/ 200ยฐC until fork tender; the roasting time greatly depends on the size of the beets, but it will take at least 45-50 minutes for medium-sized pieces. Once soft, unwrap them, cool them slightly, and peel them before making the beet sauce.ย
You can make and refrigerate it in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Cook the pasta and mix it with the sauce just before serving.
Refrigerate leftover pasta in an airtight container for 2-3 days.ย
Reheat the pasta dish in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add a splash of milk to loosen the sauce, and stir frequently while reheating.ย
While freezing the dish is possible, I donโt recommend it. Frozen and thawed pasta dishes tend to change their consistency, not for the better.ย
๐ฝ๏ธWhat to serve it with?
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๐ Recipe
Quick Beetroot Pasta
Equipment
- Large cooking pot
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta 450 g, Note 1
- 1 lb cooked beetroot 450 g Notes 2, 3
- ยฝ cup walnuts chopped, 60 g
- 5.5 oz feta 150 g, Note 4
- ยฝ teaspoon thyme Note 5
- 3 garlic cloves
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar more to taste
- ยฝ cup water 125 ml + more pasta cooking water if necessary
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ยฝ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons parsley freshly chopped, optional
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt generously, and cook the pasta al dente according to the package instructions. Reserve about ยฝ - 1 cup of the cooking water and drain the rest.1 lb pasta / 450 g
- Make the beetroot sauce while the pasta cooks.
- Blend sauce: Place the roughly chopped beetroots, walnuts, feta cheese, garlic, thyme, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and ยฝ cup (125 ml) water into the food processor. Blend until perfectly smooth.1 lb cooked beetroot / 450 g + ยฝ cup walnuts / 60 g + 5.5 oz feta / 150 g +ยฝ teaspoon thyme + 3 garlic cloves + 4 tablespoons lemon juice + 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar + ยฝ cup water + 1 teaspoon fine sea salt + ยฝ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Adjust the sauce consistency: If your beetroot sauce is too thick, wait for the pasta to cook. Then, take some of its water and slowly stir it into the sauce. Keep adding until you reach the thickness you like.
- Combine pasta and beetroot sauce. Adjust the taste with more balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper, if necessary. Serve immediately sprinkled with parsley, more feta, and walnuts if desired (Note 6).
Notes
- Pasta: Use any pasta shapes you like, short or long. Whole wheat pasta works, too.
- Beetroot: Vacuum-packed, cooked beets, not those preserved in vinegar.
- Roasted beets: You can also make this recipe with raw beetroot, but you must roast it first. Wrap the beets in aluminum foil, then put them on a baking sheet. Roast at 400ยฐF/200ยฐC until they're soft enough for a fork to go through easily. This usually takes about 45-50 minutes for medium-sized beets. Once soft, unwrap them, let them cool, and peel them before making the beetroot sauce.
- Feta in brine is best. You can use your favorite sort: goat, sheep, or cow feta.
- Thyme: While dried thyme works well in this recipe, I recommend using fresh, if available. Every time I make this dish using fresh thyme, I feel it tastes even better. You can substitute thyme with fresh basil; itโs delicious as well.
- Side dish: My favorite salad to go with this dish is a simple arugula salad with finely chopped red onions and an oil and vinegar dressing (vinaigrette).
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