Pink pasta – creamy, tangy, cheesy and vibrant. I came up with this plate when I had some leftover beets and it did not disappoint! The color is the best part.
This pink pasta sauce is a combination of goat cheese, fontina, honey, tahini, and garlic with a few roasted beets, pulsed until smooth. It tastes a bit sweet but it’s also quite satisfying and hearty.
What you need to make pink pasta
You’ll need a few things to make this dish:
- food processor – to make the beet sauce. I use one like this Cuisinart 14 cup processor!
- A large pot, like this one – to boil our beets and macaroni noodles.
- a strainer – for the noodles
- cutting board and a sharp knife!
Pink Pasta Ingredients
You only need a short list of ingredients to make this pink beetroot pasta:
Beets – very important for the vibrant pink hue. I used 3 smaller beets, so if yours are large, just use 2.
Garlic cloves – I put garlic in most sauce. The end.
Tahini – this is the perfect ingredient to make this sauce nutty and creamy. If you don’t have tahini, you could substitute more olive oil or add more goat cheese.
Goat cheese – Goat cheese is polarizing for some reason, so if you HATE it, swap in some cream cheese instead. However, the goat cheese adds amazing flavor.
Honey – add a pinch for sweetness.
Dijon mustard – adds a punchy tang. I add dijon to my mac and cheese, and it provides a nice balance to the cheese and creaminess.
Fontina cheese – fontina melts really easily which is why I like to throw it on pizza and pasta. This will add some extra cheesiness! You can swap in mozzarella or another cheese if you prefer.
How to make pink pasta
- With a peeler, remove the skin off the beets. Slice off any hard roots, and then slice the beets into smaller pieces. This will speed up the cooking process of the beets.
- Bring a pot of water to boil and carefully drop in the beets with a slotted spoon if you have. Let them boil in the water for 10-15 minutes, until they are fork tender. The water will become a dark red, which is normal! Carefully remove the beets from the water and let cool for 5 minutes, or cool enough to put in the food processor.
- Add the beets to a food processor. Drop in the garlic cloves, tahini, goat cheese, honey, dijon, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Pulse until smooth.
- Refresh the water in the pot and bring it to a boil again. Add the macaroni noodles and cook until al dente. Reserve ⅓ cup of pasta water for later. Strain.
- Dump the noodles back into the pot and add the beet sauce and fontina cheese. Stir until well combined and the cheese has melted. Add the pasta water if needed.
- Plate your noodles and top them with sprinkled goat cheese, pine nuts and red pepper flakes. Add some fresh herbs like thyme or basil if you have them!
This is a great recipe for Valentine’s Day or for anyone who loves PINK! To store this pink pasta, move your noodles to an air tight container and refrigerate. Consume within 3-5 days.
Other recipes to try
If you liked this pink pasta, you will probably also like these:
- Healthier Hamburger Helper
- Harvest Beetroot and Butternut Squash Pizza with Arugula and Mozzarella
- Honey Glazed Salmon with Beetroot Dill Sauce
- Apple Pork Ragu with Pappardelle
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Pink Pasta
Equipment
- 1 peeler
- 1 large pot
- 1 strainer
- 1 cutting board
- 1 Food processor
- 1 sharp knife
Ingredients
- 3 beets peeled and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup tahini
- 4 tbsp goat cheese
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp dijon
- ¼ cup olive oil
- pinch of salt
- 1 lb macaroni noodles
- ½ cup fontina cheese shredded
- red pepper flakes optional
- pine nuts for topping
- more goat cheese for serving
Instructions
- With a peeler, remove the skin off the beets. Slice off any hard roots. Slice the beets into smaller pieces.3 beets
- Bring a pot of water to boil and carefully drop in the beets. Let them boil in the water for 10-15 minutes, until they are fork tender. Carefully remove them from the water and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Add the beets to a food processor. Drop in the garlic cloves, tahini, goat cheese, honey, dijon, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Pulse until smooth.2 garlic cloves, ¼ cup tahini, 4 tbsp goat cheese, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp dijon, ¼ cup olive oil, pinch of salt
- Refresh the water in the pot and bring it to a boil again. Add the macaroni noodles and cook until al dente. Reserve ⅓ cup of pasta water. Strain.1 lb macaroni noodles
- Dump the noodles back into the pot and add the beet sauce and fontina cheese. Stir until well combined and the cheese is melted. Add the pasta water if needed.½ cup fontina cheese
- Plate your noodles and top with sprinkled goat cheese, pine nuts and red pepper flakes.red pepper flakes, pine nuts, more goat cheese
