Pink Pasta with Beet Cream (Printable)

Creamy pink pasta tossed in a roasted beet sauce with garlic, shallot, and Parmesan for a bright meal.

# What you'll need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 medium beets, peeled and cut into cubes
02 - 2 cloves garlic, peeled
03 - 1 small shallot, peeled and quartered

→ Pasta

04 - 12 oz penne or rigatoni pasta

→ Dairy

05 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
06 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter

→ Seasonings

08 - 2 tbsp olive oil
09 - 1/2 tsp salt, plus more for pasta water
10 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
11 - 1/2 tsp lemon zest
12 - 1 tbsp lemon juice
13 - Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - Place beet cubes, garlic, and shallot on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt. Toss to coat evenly.
03 - Roast for 25-30 minutes, or until beets are tender when pierced with a fork.
04 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water; drain pasta and set aside.
05 - In a blender or food processor, combine roasted beets, garlic, shallot, heavy cream, Parmesan, butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Blend until smooth and creamy, adding reserved pasta water as needed for desired consistency. Season with remaining salt and black pepper.
06 - Return pasta to the pot. Pour beet cream sauce over pasta and toss to coat evenly. Heat gently over low heat for 1-2 minutes if needed to warm through.
07 - Serve immediately, garnished with fresh basil leaves and extra Parmesan cheese if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The color alone makes it the most Instagram worthy dinner youll ever serve without any food coloring in sight
  • Roasting the beets first transforms them from earthy to surprisingly sweet and creamy
  • This sauce comes together faster than you can boil water and tastes like something from a fancy Italian restaurant
02 -
  • Wear gloves when peeling and chopping the beets or your hands will stay stained pink for days despite multiple washings
  • The lemon juice is not optional here without it the sauce can taste flat and one dimensionally sweet
  • Don't skip reserving that pasta water because the starch in it helps the sauce cling to the pasta and adjust the texture perfectly
03 -
  • Use a high speed blender for the silkiest sauce texture because regular blenders can leave small beet chunks that affect the mouthfeel
  • Room temperature cream blends more smoothly than cold cream straight from the refrigerator, so take it out while the vegetables roast

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