Turn roasted beets into a rich and creamy pasta sauce with this beet pasta recipe. You can serve this pasta sauce with any pasta you like for a fun and family-friendly weeknight meal.
This bright pink pasta recipe, also known as Barbie pasta, was popularized on TikTok, and I just decided to make a version of my own. While the original recipe by Kat Clark used Greek yogurt, and other recipes have used goat cheese, cottage cheese, and sour cream, I think feta cheese is the perfect salty pairing to sweet roasted beets.
Not only do these flavors pair particularly well but the addition of feta cheese helps to add a little boost of protein to this creamy beet pasta at the same time. Whether you choose to eat it as a vegetarian main course or a side dish to grilled meat, this colorful beet pasta sauce is a fun way to mix up pasta night and add some more veggies to your diet.
Why You’ll Love It
- Easy – If you can turn on the oven, boil water, and turn on a blender, you can make this pasta recipe.
- Rich and Creamy – The combination of roasted beets and feta cheese makes a creamy pasta sauce.
- Full of Veggies – This beet pasta is a sneaky way to add more veggies to your diet.
- Full of Color – The tender beets create a bright and colorful pink pasta dish.
- Great for Meal Prep – This recipe keeps well in the fridge and freezer making it great for make-ahead meals.
What You’ll Need
- Pasta – You can use short-cut pasta such as rigatoni, fusilli, or penne, or long pasta such as spaghetti, linguine, or bucatini.
- Beets – The most important ingredients in this creamy beet pasta. I used red beet, however, you could use golden beets as well. If desired, you can use pre-cooked beet, see recipe notes in the recipe card below.
- Feta – To make the sauce creamy and add some protein at the same time. You could also use plain goat cheese, mascarpone cheese, or ricotta cheese.
- Shallot – To flavor the sauce. You can use a small onion if needed.
- Garlic – To flavor the sauce.
- Olive Oil – To roast the beets.
- Lemon Juice – To balance the acid in the creamy beet sauce.
- Salt and Pepper – To season.
In addition to the above, I recommend freshly grated parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and finely chopped parsley, fresh basil, fresh dill, or fresh mint.
Dietary Adaptions
To Make it Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free pasta.
To Make it Dairy-Free: Use 1/2 cup canned full-fat coconut milk.
How to Make Roasted Beet Pasta
- Roast the beets. Add the beets, shallot, and garlic to a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast until tender.
- Cook the pasta. Add the pasta to a large pot of salted water and cook to al dente.
- Blend the sauce. Add the roasted beets, shallot, garlic, feta, and lemon juice to a blender with pasta water and purée until smooth.
- Mix it all together. Strain the cooked pasta, then return it to the pot, cover with beet pasta sauce, and mix until well combined.
- Serve immediately. Spoon the pasta into bowls and serve with additional cheese and fresh herbs on top.
You can find the detailed instructions in the recipe card below.
What To Serve with Beet Pasta
This roasted beet pasta makes an excellent vegetarian main course, however, if you want to increase the protein content, I would suggest serving it with grilled chicken, steak, or salmon. If you wanted to increase the fiber content, I would serve it with a side of steamed vegetables, such as asparagus, broccoli, or green peas, or a simple green salad.
Red’s Nutrition Tip
While they may not be popular with everyone, beets are a high-underrated vegetable that is low in calories, high in fiber, and rich in micronutrients, including folate, manganese, and copper (1). Beets have also been shown to possess a number of anti-inflammatory properties and improve cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure and increasing blood flow (2).
More Beet Recipes
If you want more beet recipe ideas, check out my French lentil and beet salad, beet soup, baked veggie chips, roasted root vegetables, and roasted vegetable salad.
FAQs
The sweet and earthy taste of roasted beets, paired with the salty taste of feta cheese, creates a well-balanced, rich, and creamy sauce for beet pasta without an over-powering beet flavor.
You do not need to peel beet before roasting, however, removing them creates a creamier pasta sauce. You can remove the skin from the beets before or after roasting.
Roasting beets brings out their natural sugars, creating a sweeter and more caramelized flavor, while boiling beet dilutes their flavor.
Storage + Reheating
To Refrigerate: Allow the pasta to cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To Freeze: Once cooled, transfer the pasta to an airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Allow the pasta to thaw completely before reheating. To reheat the pasta on the stovetop, place the pasta in a pan on medium heat with 1-2 tablespoons of water, stirring gently, until the water has been absorbed and the pasta is warmed through. To reheat the pasta in the microwave, place the pasta in a microwave-safe container with 1-2 tablespoons of water and reheat for 2-3 minutes, stirring every minute or so, until the water has been absorbed and the pasta is warmed through.
More Pasta Recipes:
Print
Beet Pasta
This beet pasta recipe is easy to make, full of color, flavors, and nutrients. Serve it as a main course or side dish to grilled meat.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes -
Cook Time: 45 minutes
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Total Time: 55 minutes
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Yield: 6 servings 1x
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Category: Main
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Method: Roasted
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Cuisine: American
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Method:
Cuisine:Ingredients
- 1 pound short-cut pasta, such as rigatoni
- 1 pound red beets (about 2 large beets)
- 1 shallot, or small onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 ounces feta (about 1 cup crumbled)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Fresh herbs, finely chopped, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and wash the beets to remove any excess dirt.
- Using a kitchen peeler, peel the beets to remove the skin and, using a sharp knife, trim the ends off the beets and slice the beets into 1/4 to 1/2-inch wedges. Remove the skin from the shallot and slice it in half lengthwise.
- In a casserole dish or on a baking sheet, add the sliced raw beets, sliced shallot, and garlic cloves (with skin on), drizzle with olive oil, season generously with salt and pepper, and toss until everything is coated in oil. Transfer to the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes until the beets are tender and be can easily pierced with a fork.
- With 10 minutes remaining on the beets, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta, reduce to a very gentle simmer, and cook the pasta to al dente or as per package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, scoop out 1 cup of pasta cooking water and set it aside.
- Once the beets are roasted, remove the casserole dish from the oven. Once cool enough to handle, after a minute or two, trim the end of the shallot and press the garlic cloves out of their skin.
- In a high-speed blender, add the roasted beets, onion, garlic cloves, feta, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup of the reserve pasta water, and purée until a smooth sauce forms. Add additional starchy pasta water to thin the sauce as needed.
- Once the pasta is cooked and drained, return it to the pot you cooked it in, pour the beet sauce on top, and gently stir it together until well combined and the pasta is well coated in sauce.
- The pasta can be served immediately with additional feta, or parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and/or parsley on top. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
To Use Pre-Cooked Beets: Instead of roasting the vegetables as per step #3, mince the shallot and garlic and sauté them in olive oil in a pan until tender. Once cooked, add them to a food processor to make the beet pasta sauce as per step #7.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 408 calories
- Sugar: 8 grams
- Fat: 10 grams
- Carbohydrates: 66 grams
- Fiber: 5 grams
- Protein: 14 grams
Hi, I’m gonna try your Beets pasta and was wondering, can I use air fryer instead of oven? If so, what temp and for how long? TIA
I don’t own an air fryer, so I can’t tell you how long to cook them for, but the beets can most certainly be cooked in one!
Never cooked with beets before, but I was intrigued by the color. It is that beautiful and it was delicious!
Simple, easy to make and absolutely delicious. I love beetroots and this recipe pleased us immensely.
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Helen!
Loved it! Beets are such an underrated ingredient and the feta adds tang to the earthiness of the beets. Adding the lemon also increases the tang. I used pre-cooked beets and that worked well.