Beet Pasta

This beet pasta recipe is easy to make, full of color, flavors, and nutrients. Serve it as a main course or side dish to grilled meat.

Ingredients

1 pound short-cut pasta, such as rigatoni

1 pound red beets (about 2 large beets)

1 shallot, or small onion

4 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 ounces feta (about 1 cup crumbled)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt

Black pepper

Fresh herbs, finely chopped, to serve

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F and wash the beets to remove any excess dirt.

Using a kitchen peeler, peel the beets to remove the skin and, using a sharp knife, trim the ends off the beets and slice the beets into 1/4 to 1/2-inch wedges. Remove the skin from the shallot and slice it in half lengthwise.

In a casserole dish or on a baking sheet, add the sliced raw beets, sliced shallot, and garlic cloves (with skin on), drizzle with olive oil, season generously with salt and pepper, and toss until everything is coated in oil. Transfer to the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes until the beets are tender and be can easily pierced with a fork.

With 10 minutes remaining on the beets, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta, reduce to a very gentle simmer, and cook the pasta to al dente or as per package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, scoop out 1 cup of pasta cooking water and set it aside.

Once the beets are roasted, remove the casserole dish from the oven. Once cool enough to handle, after a minute or two, trim the end of the shallot and press the garlic cloves out of their skin.

In a high-speed blender, add the roasted beets, onion, garlic cloves, feta, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup of the reserve pasta water, and purée until a smooth sauce forms. Add additional starchy pasta water to thin the sauce as needed.

Once the pasta is cooked and drained, return it to the pot you cooked it in, pour the beet sauce on top, and gently stir it together until well combined and the pasta is well coated in sauce.

The pasta can be served immediately with additional feta, or parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and/or parsley on top. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days in the freezer for up to 3 months.