Beetroot Pasta

A vibrant, creamy beetroot pasta made with roasted beets, garlic, and tangy goat cheese. This easy recipe delivers a stunning pink sauce that clings perfectly to every noodle.

Why This Recipe Works:

• Roasting the beets concentrates their natural sugars and breaks down geosmin, replacing earthy bitterness with deep, caramelized sweetness.
• Emulsifying the goat cheese with hot, starchy pasta water creates a velvety sauce without needing heavy cream.
• A touch of fresh lemon juice cuts through the rich, sweet profile of the beets, balancing the entire dish.

I still remember the Tuesday evening I tried to make a quick beet sauce using raw grated beets. I ended up with a kitchen that looked like a crime scene and a pasta that tasted like straight dirt.

My hands were stained a terrifying shade of magenta for three days.

The issue is that raw beets contain high levels of geosmin, an organic compound that gives them that intensely earthy, soil-like flavor. Bear with me here: if you do not roast them to trigger starch gelatinization and caramelize their natural sugars, your sauce will taste like a freshly dug garden bed.

But when you roast those ruby bulbs in foil until they are tender enough to pierce with a fork, the harshness completely vanishes.

We are blending them with creamy goat cheese and a splash of starchy pasta water to create a silky, vibrant pink sauce that clings to every single noodle.

Beetroot Pasta

• Publisher Storied Skillet
• Cuisine Italian
• Category Pasta, Vegetarian
• Prep Time 15 mins
• Cook Time 45 mins
• Servings 4
• Calories 420 calories
• Rating 4.8 642
• Tags beetroot pasta, pink pasta sauce, vegetarian pasta, roasted beet pasta

Ingredients

• 3 medium beetroots (about 400g), scrubbed and trimmed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 340g rigatoni or your favorite tubular pasta
• 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 120g soft goat cheese (chèvre)
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• 50g grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Place the trimmed beetroots and unpeeled garlic cloves on a large sheet of aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap them tightly into a packet.
2. Roast the packet in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the beets are easily pierced with a sharp knife. Carefully open the foil to let the steam escape, then let them cool slightly.
3. While the beets roast, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
4. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of its skin. Peel the warm beets (the skins should slip off easily with a paper towel) and chop them into rough chunks.
5. Transfer the beets, roasted garlic, goat cheese, lemon juice, kosher salt, and black pepper to a high-speed blender. Blend on high, adding about 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water, until the sauce is completely smooth and vibrant pink.
6. Pour the beetroot sauce over the warm, drained pasta in the pot. Toss gently over low heat, adding more pasta water if needed, until the sauce clings beautifully to the noodles. Stir in the grated Parmesan and serve immediately.

Notes

• Use Diamond Crystal kosher salt for seasoning. If you only have standard table salt, cut the measurement in half (use 1/2 teaspoon instead of 1 teaspoon) to avoid over-salting.
• Do not skip the starchy pasta water. The starch acts as a natural emulsifier, binding the fat in the goat cheese with the liquid in the beets to prevent the sauce from breaking.
• Keep a close eye on the garlic cloves in the foil packet. If your garlic cloves are on the smaller side, fish them out of the oven after 20 minutes so they do not burn and turn bitter.
• This sauce will thicken significantly as it sits in the fridge. When reheating, you will need to splash in a little water or milk to restore its silky, glossy texture.
• To prevent your hands from turning bright pink, rub a little olive oil on your palms before peeling the roasted beets, or simply wear kitchen gloves.

Serving Suggestions

This stunning pink pasta is a showstopper on its own, but you can easily round it out into a full feast with these delicious pairings.

• Serve alongside a crisp green salad, like our Vibrant Beet Salad, to echo the earthy sweetness of the main dish.
• Pair it with warm, buttery garlic bread. Our Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese makes a decadent, cheesy side that is perfect for wiping up extra sauce.
• Top each bowl with a handful of toasted pine nuts or chopped walnuts for a much-needed textural crunch.
• Add a dollop of fresh ricotta cheese on top of each serving, similar to the creamy finish of our Lemon Ricotta Pasta.
• Garnish generously with fresh mint or basil leaves to cut through the richness of the goat cheese.

Storage and Reheating

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Because beets contain natural sugars, the sauce will continue to develop its sweet profile as it sits. However, the goat cheese will also firm up, making the cold pasta look dry.

To reheat, place the pasta in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add a splash of water, milk, or vegetable broth.

Gently stir the pasta until it is heated through and the sauce becomes glossy again. Avoid high heat, which can cause the cheese in the sauce to split and become grainy.

Ingredient Substitutes

If you need to make some adjustments based on what is in your pantry, here are some easy swaps that work beautifully.

1. Goat Cheese: If you find goat cheese too tangy, swap it for cream cheese or high-quality ricotta, similar to the base used in our Roasted Tomato and Garlic Ricotta Pasta.
2. Beetroots: While fresh beets are best, you can use pre-cooked, vacuum-packed beets (not pickled!) to save time. Skip the roasting step and blend them directly.
3. Rigatoni: Any pasta shape works, but tubular shapes like penne or paccheri are excellent at trapping the thick sauce. You can even try it over zucchini noodles for a lighter option, much like our Umami Zucchini Noodles.
4. Lemon Juice: If you are out of lemons, a splash of white balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar will provide the necessary acidity to balance the beets.

I hope this vibrant bowl brings a little magic to your dinner table, even if your fingertips stay slightly pink for a day. It is absolutely worth it, trust me.