Pink Pasta Beet Cream (Print)

A silky beetroot cream coats pasta, accented with garlic and Parmesan for a colorful, flavorful dish.

# Ingredients:

→ Pasta

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

→ Beet Cream Sauce

03 - 2 medium cooked beets (about 8.8 oz), peeled and chopped
04 - 2 tbsp olive oil
05 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
06 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
07 - ½ cup heavy cream
08 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
09 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
10 - 1 tbsp lemon juice
11 - ¼ tsp ground black pepper
12 - Salt, to taste

→ Garnish

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

# Instructions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
02 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until translucent. Stir in minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
03 - Add chopped cooked beets to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
04 - Transfer beet mixture to a blender. Add heavy cream, unsalted butter, lemon juice, ground black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
05 - Return the beet cream sauce to the skillet over low heat. Stir in grated Parmesan cheese until melted and smooth. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
06 - Add the drained pasta to the skillet, tossing gently to coat evenly with the sauce. Add reserved pasta water gradually until the sauce achieves a silky texture.
07 - Plate immediately and garnish with fresh basil leaves and extra grated Parmesan cheese.

# Pro Tips:

01 -
  • It looks restaurant-worthy but takes less time than ordering delivery.
  • The natural sweetness of beets means you can skip heavy cream reductions and still get that luxurious mouthfeel.
  • One skillet, one blender, and you're done—cleanup is genuinely painless.
02 -
  • Do not skip reserving pasta water—it's the secret to keeping the sauce from breaking or seizing up once you add the hot pasta.
  • Blend the sauce completely smooth before returning it to the skillet; any grainy texture will be noticeable and unwelcome.
  • Add the Parmesan off heat or over very low heat, stirring gently, so it emulsifies rather than clumping.
03 -
  • Use a good quality blender or food processor; cheap ones leave the beet texture slightly grainy and noticeable.
  • If you taste the sauce before adding pasta and it seems too sweet, don't panic—the pasta's starch and the Parmesan will balance it out once everything comes together.
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