Easy Beet Pasta Sauce

This easy beet pasta sauce is a healthy weeknight dinner that’s ready in 30 minutes! It’s made in just 1 pot and is naturally vegan, dairy-free, and can be made gluten-free. The pink beet sauce is creamy, savory, and packed with flavor!

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Beets are such an underrated root vegetable. Not only are they super nutritious and good for you, but they also give a bright pink color to anything you add them to.

This creamy beet pasta is a great way to sneak in vegetables if you have a picky eater at home, or you’re cooking for a vegan skeptic. The beautiful beetroot sauce is tangy, a little sweet, savory, and umami. The best part—you can’t even taste the beets!

Despite using them in a pasta dish, you can also use beets in many different recipes like cakes and even pancakes, just like I did in my vegan pink beet pancakes recipe. Both of these would be excellent dishes to serve for Valentine’s Day! Or for a healthy dinner option, try this pickled beet salad.

Why you’ll love this beet pasta

• Easy to make: Because we’re using raw beets without cooking them first, this cuts the cooking time in half and makes this a super easy recipe.
• Made with simple ingredients: You probably already have most of the ingredients used in this beet pasta at home. If not, they can easily be found at most grocery stores.
• It’s delicious and comforting: Pasta is the ultimate comfort food! Nothing beats a big bowl of your favorite pasta after a long day.
• Healthy and high in fiber: Beets are one of the most nutritious vegetables out there, packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Using whole wheat pasta adds even more dietary fiber and some plant-based protein too.

Ingredient notes

• Beets: For this beet pasta recipe, you’ll need raw beets, not roasted or boiled. This gives the pasta sauce a vibrant color and adds a ton of nutritional benefits. You’ll need approximately 1 large beet or 2 small beets.
• Pasta: You can use any short pasta of your choice such as rotini, rigatoni, penne, or macaroni. For tips on how to pick vegan pasta, check out my complete guide to vegan pasta.
• Coconut milk: To make the beet sauce, you’ll need to use full-fat coconut milk from a can. This gives body and creaminess to the pasta.
• Nutritional yeast: It’s optional, but I highly recommend adding some for more flavor and umami.
• Lemon juice: For brightening up the dish with some acidity. If you want to add even more flavor, use the lemon zest as well!
• Vegetable broth: For blending the sauce, use more as needed.
• Garlic: It adds depth of flavor. You can never have too many cloves of garlic so feel free to add more if you’re a garlic lover!

How to make beet pasta sauce

This step-by-step tutorial shows you just how easy it is to make a healthy pasta dish without much effort. Reference the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for additional details.

Step 1: First, boil your pasta. Fill a large pot with water and salt it generously. Bring to a boil over high heat and add the pasta. Cook per package directions, until al dente.

Then, save 1 cup of the cooking water and drain the rest. Add the cooked pasta to a large bowl and optionally drizzle with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.

Step 2: While the pasta is cooking, make the beet pasta sauce. To a blender, add the ingredients for the sauce—raw beets, coconut milk, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice, black pepper, and salt.

Blend on high speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until creamy and no chunks remain. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, adding more salt or lemon juice to taste.

Step 3: Pour the beet sauce into the same pot as before, add the reserved pasta water, and bring to a simmer. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, or it starts to thicken.

Step 4: Add the pasta and stir to coat. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until it thickens and the pasta absorbs some of the liquid. Serve this beet pasta right away while it’s still warm!

Serving Suggestions

For toppings, you can add crumbled vegan feta cheese or vegan parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and some chopped nuts like pistachios or walnuts for crunch and healthy fats.

If you’re looking for side dishes, I suggest serving this beet pasta with roasted air fryer veggies, air fryer asparagus, or air fryer frozen brussels sprouts.

This dish also pairs well with my tender vegan steak, marinated air fryer tempeh, vegan coconut shrimp, and crispy air fryer tofu.

Don’t forget dessert! How about some edible red velvet cookie dough or this persimmon cocoa pudding? Yum!

Common Substitutes

• Pasta: You can use gluten-free pasta if you need to make this recipe gluten-free. If you want to add more protein, you can use chickpea pasta. You can even use gnocchi for a fun twist!
• Coconut milk: To substitute it, you can use a store-bought vegan cream such as soy or oat. You can also use raw, soaked cashews to make your own cashew cream. In a pinch, you can use any plant-based milk like almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk, just note the final result won’t be as creamy.
• Nutritional yeast: You can use white miso paste, soy sauce, or vegetable bouillon paste instead. If you’re interested, I have an article about how to substitute nutritional yeast that you can check out.
• Vegetable broth: You can use bouillon paste or a bouillon cube and dissolve it in water instead.

How to store leftovers

This healthy beet pasta sauce is best served when it’s freshly made, while the pasta is still warm and saucy.

The best way to store it is to keep the pasta and sauce in separate containers in the fridge for 3-4 days. Combine right before serving.

Freezer instructions:

For best results, freeze the sauce on its own, without the pasta. Let it cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container and freeze it for 2-3 months.

If you want to freeze leftovers with the pasta, they’ll keep for 1 month. Just keep in mind that the pasta will absorb the sauce. When reheating you’ll need to add more coconut milk to make it creamy again.

FAQ’s

More Delicious Pasta Recipes

• Easy Baked Vegan Pasta is a great dump-and-bake recipe that requires minimal effort!
• One-Pot ‘Baked’ Feta Pasta takes the viral Tiktok trend and turns it into an easy no-bake recipe!
• Another viral Tiktok favorite: French Onion Pasta (it’s so creamy and the flavor is out of this world!)
• Air Fryer Pasta Chips are a great easy snack option that’s healthier than your typical deep-fried chip but just as satisfying!
• And for even more ideas, check out my 20+ High Protein Vegan Pasta Recipes!

This beet pasta sauce recipe was originally published March 13, 2023 and has been updated with helpful information and tips on February 9th, 2024.