If you’re looking for a vegan pasta dish with tons of nutrients and a gorgeous pink color, this Vegan Beet Pasta Sauce is a must-make! It’s loaded with fresh beets, plant-based protein, and a full head of garlic for maximum flavor. All you need is 10 ingredients!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pasta: Use any regular or gluten-free pasta of choice. Both longer and short-cut pasta work well.
- Raw beets: To make a bright pink pasta sauce, you’ll need to use 3-4 small red beets or 1-2 large beets. If you use golden beets, the pasta sauce will be closer in color to our Creamy Kabocha Squash Pasta.
- Aromatics: Shallots and garlic form the flavor base of the pasta sauce and provide a savory depth to the recipe. Please use a whole bulb of fresh garlic! It makes all the difference.
- Silken tofu: Adds creaminess while keeping this vegan pasta recipe nut-free and dairy-free. No raw cashews, plant milk or sunflower seeds needed.
- Nutritional yeast: Adds a cheesy, umami flavor. If desired, use a vegan parmesan cheese as an alternative.
- Olive oil: Helps to roast the beets and aromatics as well as blend the pasta sauce into a silky smooth, rich texture.
- Miso paste: Adds saltiness and a deep umami flavor, enhancing the overall flavor of the pasta sauce. We recommend a white miso paste or yellow miso paste for the most mild flavor.
- Lemon juice: Balances the richness in the sauce by adding a bright tanginess. For the best flavor, use freshly squeezed lemon juice!
How to Make Creamy Beet Pasta
- Prep the beets, shallots, and garlic. Trim the top and bottom of the beets and lightly scrub to remove any dirt or debris. Pat the beets dry and place them on a sheet of foil. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt, and wrap up in the foil. Trim the ends of the shallots, peel, then place on another sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and wrap tightly. Lastly, remove the flaky outer layers of the garlic, then cut the top off the head of garlic, revealing the cloves. Place on a sheet of foil, drizzle the exposed cloves with oil, and wrap in foil.
- Roast. Place the beets, shallots, and garlic on a baking sheet and into the oven. After 40 minutes, remove the garlic and shallots from the oven and check if the beets are fork-tender. If not, bake for another 10 minutes, or as needed.
- Cook the pasta. Once the beets are done cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once at a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of pasta water before draining.
- Make the pasta sauce. While the pasta cooks, make the beet pasta sauce. While still warm, peel the beets. The outer skin should easily rub off. Add them to a high-speed blender, along with shallots, garlic cloves, silken tofu, nutritional yeast, olive oil, miso paste, lemon juice, and salt. Blend until smooth.
- Add the pasta water. Add 1/2 cup of pasta water to the blender and blend until the pasta sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Toss the pasta in the sauce. Add the savory pasta sauce and drained pasta back to the pot over low heat. Stir until the cooked pasta is well-coated in the sauce, adding additional reserved pasta water as desired to thin. Keep in mind the sauce will thicken as it cools.
- Serve. Season with additional salt and black pepper to taste. Top with fresh dill and enjoy warm!
Find the full printable recipe here: Vegan Beet Pasta Sauce
