Quick Beetroot Pasta

beetroot pasta topped with walnuts, feta and parsley.

Try this quick, delicious beetroot pasta recipe with cooked beets, walnuts, and feta cheese! With just a few ingredients and the time it takes for the pasta to cook, you're all set!

Course Main Course, Pasta Recipes

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Servings servings

Calories 680kcal

Author Adina

Equipment

Large cooking pot
Food processor

Ingredients

1 lb pasta 450 g, Note 1
1 lb cooked beetroot 450 g Notes 2, 3
½ cup walnuts chopped, 60 g
5.5 oz feta 150 g, Note 4
½ teaspoon thyme Note 5
3 garlic cloves
4 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar more to taste
½ cup water 125 ml + more pasta cooking water if necessary
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
½ 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 ½ - 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 ½ cup (125 ml) water into the food processor. Blend until perfectly smooth.
1 lb cooked beetroot / 450 g + ½ cup walnuts / 60 g + 5.5 oz feta / 150 g +½ teaspoon thyme + 3 garlic cloves + 4 tablespoons lemon juice + 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar + ½ cup water + 1 teaspoon fine sea salt + ½ 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 400°F/200°C 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; it’s 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).

Nutrition