Viral Pink Pasta: Your New Favorite Roasted Beet Pasta Recipe

Remember that stunning pink pasta that took social media by storm a few years ago? It’s still as captivating and delicious as ever, and we’re bringing you the ultimate guide to making it at home! This isn’t just a pretty dish; it’s a culinary masterpiece crafted from humble beets, roasted to perfection with aromatic garlic and sweet onion, then blended into a velvety, rich sauce with tangy goat cheese. Get ready to elevate your pasta nights and add this vibrant, nutritious, and utterly dreamy roasted beet pasta to your regular meal rotation. Prepare to be amazed by its gorgeous hue and even more by its incredible flavor!

Unlock the Magic of the BEST Roasted Beet Pasta (AKA Viral Pink Pasta)!

When you think of beets, you might picture them in a refreshing salad, a savory hummus, or even a nutrient-packed smoothie. But beets transformed into a velvety pasta sauce? It might sound unconventional, but prepare to have your culinary world rocked! This recipe isn’t just about a unique color; it’s about unlocking a deep, earthy sweetness that, when combined with the right ingredients, creates a pasta dish unlike any other you’ve tasted.

The secret to this recipe’s success lies in our specific cooking method for the beets. By roasting them, we achieve an unparalleled tenderness and caramelization, concentrating their natural sugars and flavors. This process is crucial for developing the rich, complex base of our stunning pink sauce. While we cover the essentials in the recipe below, for a more detailed explanation of how to perfectly roast beets every time, we recommend checking out our comprehensive post, How to Cook Beets. This ensures your beets are ultra-soft and retain all their delightful sweet and earthy notes, resulting in an absolutely exquisite pasta with the most gorgeous color to boot. So go on, dive into this incredible creation and impress everyone at your table!

Expert Tips for Crafting Perfect Pink Pasta ⤵️

• Selecting the Best Beets: When you’re at the grocery store, aim for medium to large-sized beets that feel firm and heavy for their size. Look for a deep maroon color with minimal blemishes. The taproot (the thin tail) should be attached and not look hairy, as a hairy taproot often indicates an older, tougher beet. Freshness is key for the best flavor and texture.
• Herb Substitutions: While fresh dill pairs wonderfully with the earthy sweetness of beets, feel free to get creative! If dill isn’t your favorite or isn’t available, excellent alternatives include finely chopped fresh parsley, chives, or even a touch of thyme. Each will add a slightly different aromatic note to the dish.
• The Power of Pasta Water: Don’t underestimate the magic of starchy pasta water! It’s essential for achieving that silky, emulsified sauce texture. If, by chance, you forget to reserve some, don’t fret! You can substitute with regular water or even a splash of unsweetened non-dairy milk (like almond or oat) for a similar effect, though pasta water is always preferred for its starch content.
• Achieving the Perfect Sauce Consistency: The amount of pasta water you add to your sauce is crucial for its texture. For a thicker, richer sauce that truly coats your pasta, start with less pasta water and gradually add more until you reach your desired consistency. For a lighter, thinner sauce, you can incorporate more starchy water. Always taste and adjust as you go.
• Pre-roasting Nuts for Enhanced Flavor: While the recipe calls for roasted and salted pistachios, don’t skip this step even if you buy them raw. A quick toast in a dry pan or a few minutes in the oven will bring out their nutty aroma and make them extra crunchy, adding an essential textural contrast to the creamy pasta.

Key Ingredients for Your Delicious Pink Pasta

This roasted beet pasta recipe relies on a few core ingredients, each playing a vital role in creating its unique flavor and texture profile. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need and why each component is essential:

• Beets: You’ll need two medium to large beets. Opt for fresh, firm beets with deep, vibrant color for the best results. Try to select beets of similar size to ensure even roasting. These are the stars, providing both the stunning pink hue and the earthy-sweet foundation of the sauce.
• Garlic & Onion: Roasted separately alongside the beets, the garlic and white onion transform from pungent aromatics into sweet, caramelized flavor bombs. Roasting mellows their intensity and enhances their natural sweetness, adding depth and complexity to the sauce.
• Bucatini Pasta: While any pasta shape will work, bucatini is an exceptional choice for this sauce. Its hollow, straw-like shape is perfect for capturing and holding creamy, oil-based sauces, ensuring every bite is rich with flavor. Feel free to use your preferred pasta if bucatini isn’t available.
• Goat Cheese: A true companion to beets! Goat cheese introduces a delightful tang and a creamy texture that perfectly complements the earthy sweetness of the beets. It’s a non-negotiable ingredient that elevates the richness and overall flavor of the sauce.
• Pistachios: These add a crucial element of texture and a pleasant saltiness. Roasted and salted pistachios provide a wonderful crunch that contrasts beautifully with the smooth pasta sauce, balancing the sweeter, earthier notes of the beets. Don’t skip roasting them first to enhance their flavor!
• Fresh Dill: This fragrant herb is a match made in heaven for beet dishes. Its fresh, slightly anisy flavor brightens the entire dish, creating a harmonious blend with the other robust ingredients in the beetroot pasta sauce.
• Lemon Zest: A touch of acidity is often the secret ingredient that brings all flavors together. Lemon zest provides a bright, citrusy lift that cuts through the richness of the goat cheese and the earthiness of the beets, making the entire dish truly impeccable and vibrant.
• Olive Oil: Used for roasting vegetables and as a base for the sauce, good quality olive oil binds the flavors and adds a silken texture.
• Kosher Salt & Black Pepper: Essential for seasoning at every stage, enhancing the natural flavors of each ingredient.
• Flaky Sea Salt: A finishing touch that adds a delightful pop of texture and a refined salty kick.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make Roasted Beet Pasta

Follow these simple steps to create your own show-stopping pink pasta:

Step 1: Preheat Oven & Prepare Foil

Preheat your oven to 400ºF (200ºC). This ensures the oven is at the optimal temperature for roasting as soon as your vegetables are ready. Tear off two generous pieces of tin foil; one will be for the beets, and the other for the garlic and onion.

Step 2: Prepare & Wrap Your Vegetables for Roasting

On one piece of tin foil, place your quartered beets. Drizzle them with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, and season generously with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. Carefully fold and seal the tin foil tight, creating a secure packet. This steaming method helps the beets cook more quickly and keeps them incredibly moist and tender, locking in their natural flavors. On the second piece of tin foil, place the head of garlic (no need to peel individual cloves, just slice off the top) and the quartered white onion. Drizzle with an additional 2 teaspoons of olive oil and season with ¼ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Seal this packet tightly as well. Roasting the aromatics alongside the beets will infuse them with a mellow sweetness that enhances the final sauce.

Step 3: Roast Vegetables & Cook Pasta Simultaneously

Transfer both sealed foil packets (beets and aromatics) to a baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the beets are easily pierced with a fork and the garlic cloves feel soft when squeezed. The exact roasting time may vary depending on the size of your beets and the calibration of your oven, so keep an eye on them for doneness.

Chef’s Note: While the vegetables are roasting, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the bucatini pasta and cook according to package directions until it is perfectly al dente. Before draining the pasta, remember to reserve at least 1 cup of the starchy pasta water. This “liquid gold” is essential for achieving the perfect sauce consistency. Strain the pasta and set it aside.

Step 4: Peel Beets & Blend Your Sauce

Once the roasted vegetables are cool enough to handle, carefully peel the skin off the beets (it should slip off easily). Transfer the peeled beets and the roasted onion to a high-speed blender. Carefully squeeze the softened, roasted garlic cloves out of their skins directly into the blender. Add the remaining olive oil (usually 1/2 tablespoon from the total amount), 2 oz. of the plain goat cheese, the remaining salt, and 4 tablespoons of the reserved starchy pasta water to the blender. Blend all the ingredients together until the sauce is completely smooth and creamy. Taste the sauce and adjust with more salt if needed, or a pinch of pepper.

Pro Tip for Sauce Consistency: For a thicker, more luscious sauce, start with less pasta water (around 2-3 tablespoons) and blend. If you prefer a thinner, silkier sauce, gradually add more starchy pasta water (up to 1/2 cup) until you achieve your desired consistency.

Step 5: Combine Pasta and Sauce

If your beet sauce is still warm from blending, add it directly to a large mixing bowl with the cooked bucatini pasta. Toss everything together until the pasta is evenly coated in the beautiful pink sauce. If the sauce has cooled down, gently transfer it to a saucepan and warm it over medium heat until it reaches your desired temperature before combining with the pasta.

Step 6: Garnish & Serve Immediately

Once the pasta and sauce are perfectly combined, it’s time for the finishing touches! Transfer the pink pasta to serving bowls. Top each serving with the remaining goat cheese (crumbled), roasted pistachios, fresh chopped dill, a sprinkle of lemon zest, and a touch of flaky sea salt. Serve your yummy beet pasta immediately and enjoy the vibrant flavors and stunning presentation!

Storage Tips for Leftovers

If you’re lucky enough to have any leftover roasted beet pasta, allow it to cool completely to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container. Properly stored in the refrigerator, it will stay fresh and delicious for 3-5 days. The flavors often deepen overnight!

Can You Freeze Beet Pasta Sauce? Absolutely!

This vibrant beet pasta sauce is an excellent candidate for freezing, making meal prep a breeze! We highly recommend freezing it in individual portions using a silicone mold or dedicated freezer containers like Soupercubes. Once frozen solid, you can transfer the individual portions to a larger freezer bag for long-term storage. The sauce will remain perfectly good in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, simply thaw in the refrigerator overnight or gently reheat from frozen on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of water or broth if needed to restore its consistency.

Health Benefits of Beets

Beyond their stunning color and delicious flavor, beets are a nutritional powerhouse. They are low in calories but rich in essential vitamins and minerals, including folate, manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamin C. Beets are also a great source of fiber, which is important for digestive health. Furthermore, they contain unique plant compounds called betalains, which have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Incorporating beets into your diet, especially in such a delicious way, can contribute to overall well-being.

Variations & Customizations

This roasted beet pasta recipe is fantastic as is, but it’s also wonderfully adaptable! Here are a few ideas to customize it to your taste:

• Cheese Alternatives: If goat cheese isn’t your preference, try ricotta for a milder creaminess, feta for a saltier tang, or even a dairy-free cream cheese alternative for a vegan option.
• Nut Swaps: Pecans, walnuts, or even toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) can be excellent substitutes for pistachios, offering different nutty flavors and textures.
• Add Protein: For a more substantial meal, consider adding grilled chicken, pan-seared shrimp, crispy tofu, or white beans to the finished pasta.
• Spice It Up: A pinch of red pepper flakes added to the sauce during blending or as a garnish can give this dish a subtle kick.
• Make it Vegan: To make this recipe completely plant-based, simply substitute the goat cheese with a high-quality vegan cream cheese or cashew cream. Ensure your pasta is also egg-free.
• Boost Veggies: Sautéed spinach, kale, or mushrooms can be folded into the pasta along with the sauce for an extra dose of vegetables.

Serving Suggestions

This roasted beet pasta is a complete meal on its own, but it also pairs beautifully with a few simple accompaniments:

• Crisp Green Salad: A light, peppery arugula or mixed green salad with a simple vinaigrette provides a refreshing contrast.
• Crusty Bread: Serve with warm, crusty bread or garlic bread to soak up every last drop of the delicious sauce.
• White Wine: A crisp, dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio would complement the flavors nicely.

Roasted Beet Pasta

This roasted beet pasta is as delicious as it is beautiful! The beets get roasted with garlic and onion and then blended all together with goat cheese to create a creamy beet sauce to serve over your favorite pasta.

By:
Emily Richter

Prep:
20 mins

Cook:
40 mins

Total:
1 hr

Servings:
4

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Ingredients

• 2 medium/large beets, ends cut off and cut into fourths
• 1 head garlic
• ¼ large white onion
• 1.5 tablespoons olive oil, separated
• 16 oz. bucatini pasta
• 1 cup starchy pasta water
• 4 oz. plain goat cheese, separated
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, separated
• ½ cup roasted and salted pistachios
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC) and cut two pieces of tin foil for the beets, garlic, and onion.
2. Place the beets in a piece of tin foil and drizzle them with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and season with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Seal the tin foil tight so no heat can escape.
   
3. Next, place the garlic and onion in a separate piece of tin foil, drizzle with 2 teaspoons olive oil and ¼ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper, and seal so no heat can escape.
   
4. Transfer the beets, garlic, and onion in their foil packets to a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the beets are fork-tender and the garlic is soft.
5. While the vegetables are roasting, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the bucatini until al dente. Set aside 1 cup of pasta water for later. Strain the pasta and set aside.
6. When the vegetables are done roasting, carefully peel the beets and transfer them to a high-speed blender along with the roasted onion. Carefully squeeze the garlic cloves out of their wrappers into the blender.
   
7. Add the remaining olive oil, 2 oz. of goat cheese, the remaining salt, and 4 tablespoons of starchy pasta water to the blender. Blend all of the ingredients together until smooth. Taste test the sauce and add more salt if needed, adjusting consistency with more pasta water if desired.
   
8. If the sauce is still hot, add the sauce and cooked pasta to a large bowl and mix until fully coated. If the sauce needs to be warmed up, transfer it to a saucepan and heat over medium heat until it reaches the desired temperature before combining.
   
9. When the sauce and pasta are combined, top with the remaining goat cheese, pistachios, dill, lemon zest, and flaky sea salt. Serve immediately for the best flavor and enjoyment.
   

Tips & Notes

• We cook the beets in tin foil because they stay moist and cook faster, concentrating their natural sweetness.
• The time it takes to roast the beets will vary by the size of the beet and the oven used, so always check for fork-tenderness.
• You can make a thicker sauce by adding less starch water and a thinner sauce by adding more starchy water. Adjust to your preference.
• If you use canned or store-bought roasted beets, your beet pasta will likely not turn out as vibrant a purple/red color. We’ve tested this, and it yielded a much more muted purple/brown color. Freshly roasted beets are key for that iconic pink hue!

Watch It

Watch a video demonstration of this recipe here to see each step in action!

Nutrition

Calories: 651 kcal,
Carbohydrates: 94 g,
Protein: 24 g,
Fat: 20 g,
Fiber: 7 g,
Sugar: 8 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Individual results may vary.

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