Pink Pasta with Beet Cream (Print Version)

A vibrant pasta dish featuring a silky beetroot cream sauce, infused with garlic and finished with Parmesan.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz dried penne or rigatoni
02 - Salt, for boiling water

→ Beet Cream Sauce

03 - 2 medium cooked beets (about 8 oz), peeled and chopped
04 - 2 tbsp olive oil
05 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
06 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
08 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
09 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
10 - 1 tbsp lemon juice
11 - 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
12 - Salt, to taste

→ Garnish

13 - Fresh basil leaves, for serving
14 - Extra grated Parmesan

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain pasta.
02 - While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
03 - Add chopped beets to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat.
04 - Transfer beet mixture to a blender. Add heavy cream, butter, lemon juice, black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Blend until completely smooth.
05 - Pour the beet cream sauce back into the skillet over low heat. Stir in grated Parmesan cheese until melted and smooth. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
06 - Add drained pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat. Add reserved pasta water as needed until the sauce reaches a silky consistency.
07 - Serve immediately, garnished with fresh basil and extra Parmesan.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The color alone makes everyone at the table lean in closer before they even take a bite.
  • It uses simple pantry staples but feels fancy enough for company without any fuss.
  • The earthy sweetness of beets plays beautifully with the sharpness of Parmesan and the tang of lemon.
  • You can have this on the table in 40 minutes, which is faster than most delivery options.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water, it's the secret to making the sauce cling instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Blend the sauce longer than you think you need to, any chunks of beet will ruin the silky texture you're going for.
  • Add the Parmesan off the heat or on very low heat so it melts smoothly instead of clumping into strings.
  • If your beets are especially earthy, add an extra squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the whole dish.
03 -
  • Use a high-speed blender if you have one, it makes the sauce impossibly smooth and almost mousse-like in texture.
  • Add a pinch of nutmeg to the sauce if you want a subtle warmth that makes people ask what the secret ingredient is.
  • Serve this in shallow bowls instead of plates so the sauce pools around the pasta and looks restaurant-worthy.
  • Pair it with a crisp white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, the acidity cuts through the cream beautifully.
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