Cheap and Easy Beetroot Pasta

Personally, I’m a hug fan of beetroot and would eat it in anything so I thought, why not turn it into a pasta! This Beetroot Pasta is not only super tasty, it’s quick, cheap and easy to make, plus the colour is mesmerising which makes it almost too pretty to eat. This recipe is also very versatile so you can mix it up with different types pastas, stir through different ingredients like veggies, proteins or herbs, but to be honest, I think it’s perfect as is.

How to Make Beetroot Pasta

Although it might appear intimidating because it’s out of the ordinary, there’s nothing complicated about this dish. At it’s core, it’s a sauce folded into cooked pasta, just like you would with a Bolognese, pesto or cream sauce.

If you’ve made any type of vegetable puree before then you can well and truly make this Beetroot sauce. All that is required is to boil beetroots until tender, do a few other things then blitz it all until silky smooth.

What is in it?

This recipe requires 5 simple ingredients and costs less than a dollar per serve. Those ingredients are:

Beetroot
Onion
Garlic
Cream
Pasta

How Long Does Beetroot Pasta Last?

If you happen to make way too much or want to make a big batch for meal prepping, this recipe will last nicely in the fridge for a week (although it won’t be as good as when it’s fresh). If you are deliberately planning to make it in advance, I’d recommend storing the sauce and pasta separately from each other.

How do I Store it in the Fridge?

To store it in the fridge, first allow both the pasta and sauce to cool on the bench to room temperature. Place both in a separate airtight container and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Can I Freeze Beetroot Pasta?

Unfortunately with this one, I wouldn’t suggest freezing it as pasta doesn’t respond too well to being frozen and can turn out mushy when thawed. If you must, you could freeze the sauce, but even then, it can go watery and ‘split’ when defrosted so don’t do it unless you’ve accidently made a gallons worth and would otherwise need to throw it out.

How do I reheat it?

You can reheat Beetroot Pasta by two methods; in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Microwave: Heat the sauce in a microwave safe dish for around a minute until hot. If it is a little bit thick, feel free to thin it out with a slash of milk. Heat the pasta in the microwave with a splash of water for around the same amount of time. Stir the pasta through the sauce and serve.

Stove: Add the sauce to a pan over a medium flame and heat until warmed through. Add the cooked pasta and a splash of milk then stir through until well coated.

Can I Make it in Advance?

Yes you can! You can very easily prepare the sauce the night before and store it in the fridge. Then, when you’re ready to serve, all you need to do is cook the pasta, mix it all together and enjoy. If you’re really pressed for time and want to be super organised, you can cook the pasta in advance as well, but it will be better if it’s cooked as close to serving as possible.

Can I Make a Bigger Batch than in the Recipe?

Absolutely! This recipe is very forgiving and can be easily scaled without ruining it. If I were to double it however, I would only increase the onions and garlic by half.

For example:

Double batch – double everything else but use 1 1/2 onions and 4-5 cloves garlic (rather than 2 and 6)

Triple batch – triple everything else but use 2 onions and 6 garlic (rather than 3 and 9)

What if I Don't Like Beetroot?

Well you’ve come a long way into this if you don’t even like beetroot. But if you don’t, you can substitute the beetroot for and other pureed vegetable that you like… Except for something overly starchy like potatoes.

Do I Have to Boil the Beetroots?

No, you can prepare them anyway you like that leaves them soft and blend-able. I only opted for boiling so you could make the most of the beetroot’s colour and infuse some of it into the pasta.

If you’d like you could try:

Steaming
Salt baking
Roasting (cover the tray in alfoil to prevent the beetroots from getting a chewy outer skin)
Grating the beetroots and sautéing them in butter

Troubleshooting

My Sauce is Too Runny

There’s very little chance of this sauce being too runny as you aren’t adding much liquid at all. But if you do feel it is too thin, leave it to simmer for a few minutes in the pan before stirring through the pasta.

My Sauce is Gritty and Grainy

This is a result of your beetroots not being cooked enough. The beetroot should break down very easily when pressed lightly with a spoon. If it’s not and it requires a bit of pressure, cook it for a few more minutes.

My Sauce Tastes Raw

This will be a result of the onions and garlic not being cooked enough. They need to be fully softened and translucent before pureeing with the beetroot, otherwise the sauce will have a raw, astringent edge to it.

Do the Beetroot Pieces Need to be Exactly the Same Size?

Not at all. The more uniform their size, the more evenly they will cook, but as the goal is basically to get them as soft as possible and completely blitz them, it really doesn’t matter all too much.

Do I Have to Use a Blender?

Again, not at all. You can use an immersion blender and food processor, a vitamiser or a blender. For all of my purees, I use my Braun Multi Quick 9.

Variations

As i mentioned earlier, this is a very forgiving recipe and will take well to different variations, flavourings and add-ins. The list is relatively inexhaustive for this recipe, so you can try whatever you like, but I have included a few ideas for you below:

Add 1/2 cup of chopped, cooked bacon when mixing the sauce and pasta together
Add 1/2 – 1 tsp of different spices or dried herbs when sautéing your onions and garlic – try cumin, coriander, thyme or rosemary, or spice mixes like ras el hanout.
Stir through, blend or top with a handful of fresh herbs like basil or parsley
Top with or stir through different meats – try shredded chicken or smoked salmon
Add a tsp of Dijon mustard when pureeing the sauce
Top with sliced chillies if you’d like it spicy
Sprinkle over different soft cheeses to finish – try blue cheese, feta or ricotta