Mediterranean Creamy Beet Pasta (Pink pasta) absolutely nails it in presentation and taste! Whether you're planning a special dinner, or a unique weeknight dinner this beetroot pasta has you covered! It couldn't be a more perfect Valentine's Day meal!
This pasta with beets recipe is a fun and unique way to change your traditional pasta with tomato sauce. The vibrant pink color in the beet pasta sauce can't be mistaken for anything else! Isn't it stunning?!
This beet pasta with feta, artichokes, parsley and a few essential Mediterranean aromatics create this Middle eastern inspired pink pasta plate that nails it for Valentine's Day, but I'll take it any day of the week!
Beets are absolutely delicious, but they're also highly nutritious and offer a significant number of vitamins and minerals. Such as potassium, folate, iron, and vitamin C. They're an excellent healthy source of vitamins to make you feel so much better about eating pasta.
For another beet recipe that I absolutely love, give this Mediterranean Beet Salad with Walnuts a try. It's full of flavor and a fun side to make with any leftovers beets from this sauce recipe.
A few other pasta recipes to try are Roasted Red Pepper Gnocchi, and this absolutely Simple Tuna Pesto Pasta recipe! If you're in the mood for seafood, which, I know I always am - then try this Mussel Soup with Gnocchi which is another favorite pasta dish of mine!
Table of Contents
WHAT IS MEDITERRANEAN CREAMY BEET PASTA?
This pink pasta sauce is made using cooked beets, half and half in order to create the creamy factor, feta cheese for a Mediterranean flare and to add more creaminess, a little bit of zing, and salt. And of course extra virgin olive oil and other aromatics that bring this sauce together.
I can't rave enough about this beet sauce pasta It's lusciously creamy, earthy from the beets, packed with great flavor, and of course, extremely eye-catching. The garnishes seal the deal and add an even more flavor and create a sophisticated presentation on a dime!
BEET PASTA INGREDIENTS
For The Sauce
- Beets. Cooked or raw, I provide cooking instructions below if you choose raw. Otherwise, you can find cooked beets in most grocery stores or on Amazon in the link provided. Choosing cooked cuts down on time and the mess!
If you're up for saving every part of raw beets, make sure to utilize the beet greens for a homemade pesto, or add to a salad, or use them to garnish this creamy beet pasta with.
- Half and Half. It provides the creamy factor to balance the beets and truly makes it the best beet pasta, along with the next few ingredients! Look through the substitutions below if you need to switch out half and half for something else.
- Feta. Use crumbled feta or crumble it yourself to measure for this recipe. Feta provides adds a punch of flavor and compliments the beets well, and of course, makes it the quintessential Mediterranean recipe. Along with the use of extra virgin olive oil, cumin and parsley.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Using a good quality oil provides great flavor and a touch of fats to create an even more luscious sauce. Olive oil is what I'd use to compliment the feta and garlic well, besides, it's my absolute favorite oil to work with. If you're out and are on a pinch, you can substitute it for avocado oil.
- Fresh Garlic. For the love of garlic, use fresh not pre-minced. Since this is a sauce where every ingredient shines through, go for quality and use fresh, pre-peeled or peel yourself. I choose either depending on how much time I have on hand.
- Cumin. A little bit of this powerhouse spice, goes a long way. Choose a good quality cumin from the store. There are so many other great recipes to make with it, like my Kefta recipe (a Lebanese meatball) that's easy, unique, and a must-try! If you haven't yet, you'll have to give my Mediterranean Beet Salad recipe a try!
Pasta Toppings To Serve
- Pasta. Choose any pasta you love! Going with spaghetti will ensure you have sauce in every bite. A penne or other pasta choice sure makes for an easy and could possibly be less of a mess than spaghetti. Either way, they both turn out absolutely gorgeous and delicious. If you can, find a fun pasta that oftentimes Trader Joe's or Marshalls carries.
- Feta. I love this stuff. Get the crumbled to make it easier.
- Marinated Artichokes. Marinated completements everything in this dish and gives a boost of flavor. For an alternative you can opt for regular canned/jarred artichokes.
- Parsley. Flat-leaf italian parsley is preferred. Though, if your town is anything like my remote coastal town, flat-leaf parsley, or any herb really is sometimes hard to comes by. In that case, using curly parsley, chopped finely is completely ok, and provides the same flavor.
- Protein of choice. You can get creative here or use leftover meat. I like adding grilled chicken!
TECHNIQUE
This is one of those recipes that I like to bust out my food processor for. This beet pasta sauce comes together so much smoother and nicer using a food processor, then heating on the stove prior to serving. You can also use an immersion blender if you're brave enough to withstand the beet splashes :).
Here's my go-to food processor.
This is the Immersion Blender I have and love.
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
Step One
If you're using raw beets, you'll want to clean them, peel them and cook them. My favorite way is to boil them until fork tender, roughly 20-30 minutes depending on their size.
Step Two
Dice the beets and add them to the food processor along with all of the beet sauce ingredients.
Step Three
Blend everything until completely smooth.
Step Four
Add the sauce to a sauce pan and let simmer.
Step Five
Plate your pasta and top with this warm creamy beet sauce then add your toppings to serve!
TOP TIPS FOR THIS RECIPE
- Use a food processor! Another option is a blender, but I highly suggest one or the other to get a smooth and creamy pasta sauce that we're after. An immersion blender is a good back-up, but can produce more of a mess.
- Do NOT let the sauce boil. Boiling may cause the sauce to separate. Keep the sauce on a low simmer until warmed completely and ready to serve.
- Use pre-cooked beets to make this recipe faster, easier, and less of a mess to clean up. Cooked beets are sold is most grocery stores, I've mainly seen the brand Love Beets. They also sell pre-cooked beets on Amazon, which makes it so convenient.
HOW TO STORE & REHEAT
Fridge
Store in an airtight container for about 4 days in the fridge. Another option is to use an airtight ziploc bag if you don't want to risk the pink color dying your Tupper ware.
Freezer
Store in an airtight container or ziploc bag in the freezer for several months.
Reheating Beet Pasta Sauce
When you are ready to enjoy it again, thaw in the fridge overnight it you chose the freezer option. Then, heat on a stove until simmering and warm, while stirring! Make sure not to bring the sauce to a boil, to avoid it from separating. Top over pasta and the fresh garnishes.
VARIATIONS
Vegan - make this recipe vegan by switching the half n' half for canned coconut milk. Avoid using milk in the carton as it's not as creamy, and coconut milk in the can is much thicker, which is needed to add a luscious creaminess to the sauce. Also switch the feta for vegan feta.
Pizza - use the sauce on pizza! Top with everything else I used as toppings in this beet pasta and any protein of choice and have a fun colored Mediterranean style pizza.
Try a Different kind of pasta, or go for couscous or orzo! Choose a fun pasta you've always wanted to try or use this sauce on other pasta varieties.
Sandwich - Try it as a sauce on your next sandwich. Or make a fancy grilled cheese and use this beet sauce to dip. Going to run off to make this right now!
SUBSTITUTIONS & ADD-INS
Half and Half
Make it creamier: Substitute the half and half for heavy cream for an even creamier sauce (you will likely have to reduce the amount).
Make it light: Use milk instead of half and half to make a light version of this dish. Or use less half and half.
Dairy Free: Use canned coconut milk for a dairy-free option. Of course the taste will vary. Start with half the amount that's suggested in the recipe and increase as you taste along.
A few suggested add-ins:
- Red onion. Thinly slice red onions and use as garnish along with the rest of the toppings.
- Use another type of cheese, such as brie, parmesan, manchego, etc.
- Use basil along with parsley to garnish. Or substitute parsley for basil.
FAQ
I recommend using Half and Half since it's the perfect amount of heavy and light. If you want a very creamy sauce, you can try heavy cream. Start with less and increase as you taste test. Using the right amount of cream is essential to getting the lusciously creamy sauce we're after, yet not overpower the beet flavor.
Yes! Peeling the beets ensures the sauce comes out as soft and as smooth as possible. You can either peel the beets before cooking them or after. And if you're not up for the mess, look for cooked beets at the store like the brand Love Beets. It makes this recipe even easier, faster and of course, less of the mess.
Yes, you can. The flavor will be slightly off because golden beets don't pack as much flavor as red beets do. Spices will have to be adjusted and added sparingly as you taste test along adding the spices.
RELATED RECIPES
- Get extra beets and make this Mediterranean Beet Salad with Walnuts.
- For another pasta dish, try this Tuna Pesto Pasta recipe.
- and you can't pass up this Simple Gnocchi with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce for another easy pasta(ish) recipe.
- If you're on the Pacific Coast, you have to try this Razor Clam recipe! Spaghetti in white wine sauce...mmmm...
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS PASTA WITH BEET SAUCE RECIPE
This beet pasta would be absolutely delicious with a side of this Authentic Hummus to enjoy as a starter. Not to mention having this Rosemary Parmesan Bread that's a super easy no-knead recipe on the table!
For a dessert drink, you'll find yourself wanting every last sip of this Creamy Espresso Martini - it's one of my most popular recipes and I can see why!
If you're up for grabbing extra feta, you have to try this Fried Feta and Strawberry Salad recipe alongside this pasta dish. It's absolutely mouthwatering!
I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU! When you make this dish, please RATE using the ⭐️stars in the recipe card, and COMMENT at the end of the page how you enjoyed this dish. I love to connect with you in the comments section.
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Mediterranean Creamy Beet Sauce Pasta (Pink Sauce)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 oz pasta of choice
For Beet Pasta Sauce
- 2 cups beets, diced, raw or cooked
- ¾ cup half and half
- ½ cup feta, crumbled
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced *use more if cloves are small
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt , or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For Garnishing
- ⅓ cup feta, crumbled
- ½ cup marinated artichokes , roughly chopped
- ¼ cup parsley , finely chopped
- protein of choice
Instructions
To Cook Beets
- Clean, peel, and dice beets. Boil until fork tender, about 20-30 minutes.
To Make the Beet Sauce
- To a food processor, add beets, half and half, feta, olive oil, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer the beet sauce mixture to a saucepan on low-medium heat.
- Bring to a light simmer until warmed completely. Typically takes about 10 minutes.
- While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta according to the package. Drain and set aside in a colander until ready to start plating.
To Serve
- Plate pasta in a rimmed plate, pasta bowl, or shallow bowl.
- Top the pasta with the creamy beet sauce and sprinkle parsley, feta, marinated artichokes, and meat of choice.
Notes
Nutrition
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Gina
The perfect dish to make for Valentine's Day! Or any day!