This easy beet pasta 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!
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.
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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 recipe super easy to make.
- Made with simple ingredients: Most of the ingredients used in this beet pasta you probably already have 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.
- 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
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, 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 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.
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.
- 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.
- 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 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
Beets are known for their sweet and earthy taste, but they're quite neutral-tasting in this recipe, thanks to the rest of the ingredients that add depth of flavor. The result is a saucy, creamy, and savory vegan pasta with a lovely pink color.
Beetroot is highly nutritious and is a great source of fiber, iron, vitamin C, folate, potassium, and more! Adding it to pasta dough or incorporating it into a sauce makes for a more balanced and filling meal.
You'll need 7 ounces of peeled and roasted beets and ½ cup of water to make the beet puree. If you haven't already, add beets to a baking sheet and roast for 40-50 minutes in a preheated oven to 390ºF (200ºC), until fork tender.
Simply blend the beets with the water using a food processor or an immersion blender, until you have a smooth paste.
Then, on a clean surface, add 4 cups of flour and mix with ½ teaspoon salt. Make a well in the center and add the puree. Start mixing gradually until you have a dough bowl. Knead for 10-15 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and soft. Cover with plastic wrap and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Once ready, use a sharp knife or a bench scrapper to divide the dough ball into 8 pieces. Either using a pasta machine or a rolling pin, roll the dough as thin as you can without breaking it. Cut into your desired shape and cook as you would any fresh pasta.
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!
- 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!
📖 Recipe
Easy Beet Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb whole wheat short pasta, * such as rotini, rigatoni, or penne
- 8 ounces raw beets, peeled and cubed, ~1 large beet
- ¾ cup canned coconut milk, full-fat
- ½ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, optional
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup reserved pasta water
- Crumbled vegan feta cheese, optional topping
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions, reserving 3⁄4 cup of pasta water beforedraining. Set aside.1 lb whole wheat short pasta
- To a high-speed blender, add the ingredients for the sauce and 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.8 ounces raw beets, peeled and cubed, ¾ cup canned coconut milk, ½ cup low-sodium vegetable broth, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 3 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, ½ teaspoon salt
- Using the same pot as before, pour the sauce into it and add ¾ cup of the reserved pasta water. Bring to a simmer, then cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired by adding more salt, lemon juice, or nutritional yeast.¾ cup reserved pasta water
- Add the pasta to the pot and stir to coat. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Serve this beet pasta right away while it's still warm! Top with a crumbled vegan feta if desired.Crumbled vegan feta cheese
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