If you’re after something tasty, comforting and incredibly easy to make then this creamy PINK beetroot pasta recipe is for you.
The beetroot adds a subtle earthy flavour, while the basil, pesto and fresh mint add a gorgeous fragrance. Plus, it’s PINK which makes this beetroot pasta more appealing for everyone!
If you don’t have time to read through my beetroot pasta recipe now, then PIN it for later!
How have I made a vegan beetroot pasta sauce creamy?
Three key elements make up creamy vegan sauces:
- Soaked cashews
- Liquid, e.g. milk
- Seasoning
Traditional creamy pasta recipes often use dairy milk, creams and even yoghurts. Instead, I’ve subbed them out for dairy-free ingredients and methods. Making this vegan but no less comforting.
Instead of cow’s milk, I’ve used oat milk, but soy milk would work just as great. If you feel stuck about which vegan milk alternative is right for you, then check out this other article of mine. Most kinds of plant milk contain fortified nutrients and for this recipe, you want one renowned for being creamy.
I’ve used a variety of different seasoning to add flavour which includes Dijon mustard, nutmeg, salt, pepper and fresh basil. A key player would be nutritional yeast. It’s not only packed with B vitamins, amino acids, iron and zinc, but it also boasts a ‘cheesy’ flavour, so it’s a great addition to this vegan beetroot pasta sauce.
When cashews have soaked, they become soft and easily blend into a thick, smooth sauce, much like how peanuts blend into peanut butter. When combined with the liquids and seasoning, you create this gorgeous warm, rich and creamy PINK vegan sauce which you’ll find hard not to lick straight off the spoon.
TIP: To make the sauce more creamy and smooth, you can soak the cashews for longer or slowly add more milk bit by bit while the sauce blends on high speed.
Could you use beetroot powder in this recipe?
Of course!
Beetroot powder is a rich a nourishing form of pure beetroot that’s been dried and ground into a powder. It retains all its natural goodness.
You could use it in this recipe to enhance the pink colour, or for additional nutrition.
“I’ve heard beetroot is good for diabetics”: What’s so great about beetroot?
Whichever way you cook with beetroot, it’s low in fat, full of vitamins, minerals and packed with powerful antioxidants. One might describe it as a health-food titan.
There is research to suggest that drinking and eating beetroot can help lower blood pressure. This is due to the presence of nitrates in beet juice which reportedly cause pressure-reducing effects. They improve the ability of blood vessels to widen and consequently promote blood flow.
How can you make this beetroot pasta more nutritious?
I have chosen whole wheat fusilli which is far healthier than standard white pasta. Whole wheat is packed with nutrients such as complex carbs, protein, fibre, iron, magnesium, and zinc. White pasta is made with refined carbs, meaning it has been stripped of many nutrients during its processing.
I have also used spinach, nutritional yeast and cashews for additional vitamins and nutrients.
I hope you give this delicious and creamy PINK beetroot pasta a go. If you love beetroot or creamy recipes, then you might also enjoy:
- TASTY Beet Bruschetta
- CREAMY Pesto Asparagus & Leek Puff Pastry Tart
- CREAMY Mushroom Pasta with Fresh Parsley and Spinach
This recipe is part of my new IGTV recipe series, Vegan in Lockdown. Feel free to check the series out here. I release a new recipe video every Monday at 5 pm.
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I’m sure this recipe will provide you with a newfound love for beets. Be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram. I love seeing photos of you recreating my recipes – it makes me smile!
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Much Love,
G x
Creamy PINK Beetroot Pasta with Fragrant Pesto & Mint
There are only 20 minutes between you and this creamy vegan PINK beetroot pasta with fragrant pesto and mint. It’s tasty and incredibly easy to make.
Ingredients
The Sauce:
- 200g Cashew nuts
- Boiling water
- 1/2 vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large garlic crushed
- 2 pre-cooked beetroots (300g), grated
- 250ml vegan single cream
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp mixed herbs
- Generous grinding of black pepper
- 1/4 whole nutmeg finely grated
- 100ml dairy-free milk
- 10 basil leaves (or 2 tsp dried version)
- 1 heaped tsp of free from green pesto
To Serve:
- 200g whole wheat pasta (any type will do).
- 50g fresh baby spinach
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- Olive oil spray
- Fresh mint
Instructions
- Boil a full kettle. Then add your cashews to a bowl and pour over enough boiling water so they're just submerged. Stir in the veg stock until it's dissolved and leave to soak for 10 mins (or longer). Also, use the kettle water to bring the pasta to the boil on high heat, then allow to simmer on low heat for 15 mins.
- Meanwhile, you can make your sauce. Add the olive oil, garlic, HALF the grated beetroot and the vegan single cream to a blender or food processor. Blitz until creamy and smooth.
- Then add the nutritional yeast, mustard, salt, herbs, black pepper, nutmeg, fresh basil and free from green pesto. Blitz on high speed for a few minutes. Leave the flavours to infuse before finally adding the cashews (with 80ml of the stock), dairy free milk and the remaining beetroot. Blend on high speed for a further 5 minutes until the sauce is completely smooth. Feel free to add a little more milk, bit by bit, for a more smooth and creamy consistency.
- Use these 5 minutes to lightly steam your spinach in a spray of olive oil and a sprinkling of garlic powder. Cook until the spinach wilts. Add a dash of pasta water for extra flavour and quicker cook time.
- Once pasta is cooked, drain and add to the pan and combine with the spinach. Then pour over enough sauce to evenly coat the pasta and spinach. You can store remaining sauce in the fridge for up to 5 days or feel free to freeze it. Serve with a sprinkling of fresh mint. Enjoy!
Notes
I've only cooked enough pasta for 2 people (200g). However, the sauce serves enough for 4-5, so just cook enough pasta according to how many people are eating. Then any remaining sauce can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen for another time.
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