This bright pink beet root pasta sauce is made with flavorful roasted vegetables and is as beautiful as it is delicious! It's ready in just 35 minutes making it a great easy dinner recipe.
If you're looking for a way to spice up your typical pasta nights or need a show-stopping date night recipe, this one is for you!
I love making this recipe when I'm entertaining because our guests are always blown away at the amazing flavor and beautiful pop of color.
This pasta is delicious when served with my Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing.
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Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
- Vegan: We don't use any dairy, meat, or eggs to make this recipe making it a plant-based and vegan beet pasta.
- Gluten-Free: This sauce is made without any wheat products/gluten. Pair it with your favorite gluten-free pasta for a full GF meal.
- Perfect for Entertaining: Whether you're planning to serve this at a dinner date or your next dinner party, this flavorful and beautiful recipe is always a winner.
Ingredient Notes
Beets: We use red beets in this recipe to get that gorgeous pink color. Make sure you're scrubbing the beets well before getting started since they are grown underground.
Garlic: Use fresh garlic in this recipe so we can freshly roast it and get the best flavor.
Onion: You can use yellow onion or sweet onion.
Tomatoes: Any type of fresh tomato that you have on hand will work perfectly.
Nutritional Yeast: This is our vegan version of cheese. It will give your sauce a bolder, cheesier flavor.
Cashews: It's important to use unsalted cashews in this recipe to avoid over salting the dish. Raw cashews are ideal but if all you have is roasted just give them a really good rinse before and after soaking.
Coconut Milk: I like using sweetened full-fat coconut milk.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Additions
Make it spicy: To make spicy beet pasta sauce simply add one teaspoon (or more if you're brave!) of crushed red pepper flakes to the veggies while you roast them.
Make it extra creamy: Double the soaked cashews and soak them for at least an hour to make the sauce extra thick and creamy.
Sweeten things up: Add half a cup of sweet potatoes when roasted the vegetables to add a little extra sweetness. You can also use sweetened coconut milk versus unsweetened.
Add extra veggies: If you're looking to up your veggie servings you can add extra vegetables to the sauce. Double the beets or onion when making the sauce or you can make pasta with beets and add extra diced roasted beets to the finished pasta.
Top Tip: Soak the cashews the night before and place them in the fridge overnight. This will help them soften even more and will give your sauce a smoother, creamier texture.
Step by Step Instructions
Image 1: Start by gathering all of your ingredients for the sauce. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Boil a small pot of water (for the cashews) and remove it from heat once it boils and pour in the cashews. Allow them to soak for at least 30 minutes.
Image 2: Scrub the beets and slice the beets and onion. Toss them in olive oil, salt, and Italian seasoning then transfer to a baking sheet.
Cut the heads of garlic in half, drizzle olive oil on top, and toss the halves on the pan
Place the baking sheet in the oven and allow the veggies to roast for about 20 minutes. At the 10 minute mark toss the veggies and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
Once the veggies are in the oven boil a large pot of water and cook the pasta according to package instructions. At the end of cooking set aside 1 cup of the pasta water before straining the pasta.
Image 3: Allow the roasted vegetables to cool slightly before transferring them to a blender. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
Image 4: Once your sauce has reached the desired consistency, transfer it to a pot to reheat if necessary. Gently stir in the cooked pasta. Top with fresh basil and serve warm for best results.
Expert Tips
- Don't forget to reserve pasta water: This might seem like an obvious tip but I can't tell you how many times I forget to set aside pasta water before straining the pasta. Leave yourself a note or put an alarm in your phone so you won't forget!
- Vent while blending: If your veggies are still warm when you go to
- Let the sauce cool before storing: Always allow anything warm
- If storing with pasta, set aside extra sauce: Pasta tends to soak up a good amount of sauce when it sits in the sauce for a while. I like to make a little extra and keep in in a separate container, stir it in with the pasta when reheating.
How to Store
In the fridge (no pasta): You can serve this sauce in the fridge either on its own in a jar or mixed in with pasta.
If you're storing it in a jar by itself you can transfer it to a jar or covered container for up to four days.
Mixed with pasta in the fridge: You can store the pasta mixed with sauce in a covered container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
I recommend storing some extra sauce separately to mix in with the pasta or stir in a splash of water when you heat it up. The pasta will absorb some of the sauce making it a little dry. Adding the extra sauce or water will help thin in out again!
In the freezer: If you're planning on freezing this sauce, allow it to come to room temperature before transferring to a freezer safe jar or container. Allow some extra space in the jar for the sauce to expand.
You can store this sauce in the freezer for up to three months.
Serving Suggestions
Though this creamy beet pasta sauce is originally designed to be served over pasta, below are some of my other serving recommendations.
- Mixed in with risotto
- Drizzle over your favorite salad or power bowl
- Use as a spread or dressing for a sandwich or wrap
- Serve as a dipping sauce for roasted vegetables
Frequently Asked Questions
This pretty pink beetroot pasta sauce is made using a mixture of beets, onion, garlic, coconut milk, broth, herbs, and spices. These ingredients are blended together then tossed in your favorite pasta.
Yes, roasted the beets, onion, and garlic will give your sauce a better flavor and will help soften them so them blend nicely.
Yes, we don't use any animal based products in this recipe so it is fully plant-based and vegan.
More Vegan Pasta Recipes You'll Love
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Beet Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ pound pasta
Beet Pasta Sauce Ingredients
- ½ cup cashews unsalted, raw
- 1 cup red beets
- 2 heads garlic
- 1 yellow onion
- ½ cup tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- ½ cup reserved pasta water
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- ¼ cup basil
Instructions
- Start by boiling a small pot of water and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Once the water has boiled remove it from heat and place the cashews in the water. Allow the cashews to soak for 30 minutes, at the end of soaking drain and rinse them.
- Scrub the beets and dice the beets, onions, and tomatoes into ½ inch cubes. Cut the heads of garlic in half the long way (so that you can see the middle of each garlic clove. Toss the veggies in the olive oil, salt, and Italian seasoning and place on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, tossing half way through cooking.
- Boil a large pot of water and cook the pasta according to package instructions. At the end of cooking scoop one cup of pasta water out of the pot and set it to the side before straining the pasta.
- Once the vegetables have roasted and softened transfer them along with the remaining sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. You might want to add the extra reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce if desired.
- Taste the sauce and adjust salt as necessary. Stir the sauce in with the pasta and serve warm (reheat the sauce if necessary). Garnish with extra basil if desired.
B Rizzy says
Can confirm, it is very delicious.