Beet Pasta Sauce

This savoury beet pasta sauce is made with cooked beets, coconut milk, cashews and lemon zest. Naturally vegan, it can be served with regular or gluten free pasta for an easy weeknight meal.

Oh how I love beet pasta sauce.

But I wasn't convinced at first.

I thought beets would taste overpowering with pasta, but actually, with the right ingredients (coconut milk for creaminess and lemon zest for freshness) they make the most delicious savoury sauce.

And did I mention how EASY it is to make? You literally add all ingredients to a blender, blitz for 20 seconds, and there you have it: a mouthwatering, healthy pasta sauce.

This recipe makes a great weeknight meal (like my Easy Chickpea Spinach Curry or Broccoli & Mushroom Pasta and is perfect when you want to quickly whip something up to impress a friend or loved one.

Why you'll love this recipe

It's just SO EASY. Throw all sauce ingredients into a blender and that's it!

It's oil-free. None needed! The coconut milk and cashews make a nice creamy sauce on their own (find all my oil-free recipes here).

It tastes incredible. There's something about the combination of beets, lemon zest, coconut milk and garlic that gives this sauce a serious flavour punch!

It's naturally gluten free. Use wheat free pasta to make the meal completely gluten free.

What is beet pasta sauce made of?

Beets - Beets (or beetroots!) have a sweet, earthy flavour that's perfect with pasta. I use pre-cooked beets and highly recommend it as they're milder and sweeter (if you have raw, see how to cook them below).

Cashews - Add a creamy texture and protein to the sauce.

Coconut milk - For extra creaminess. Don't skip if you can help it - it makes the sauce so indulgent.

Nutritional yeast - This makes the sauce taste more savoury, and a little 'cheesier'.

Garlic - Really helps add depth to the sauce. It can be omitted if you can't have garlic, but I do recommend leaving it in if possible.

Lemon zest & juice - Lemon zest is my secret ingredient! It works so well with the flavour of beet for some reason, and really elevates the dish. The juice add tanginess.

Substitutions

Cashews - Can be subbed for silken tofu or sunflower seeds. If using sunflower seeds and you don't have a high speed blender, they will need to be soaked for 4 hours+.

Coconut milk - You can sub other regular unsweetened dairy-free milk. I strongly recommend using coconut milk however for creaminess.

Nutritional yeast - This can be omitted if you aren't a fan, your beet sauce just won't have such a savoury taste.

How to make beet pasta sauce

1) Add beets, cashews, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon and sea salt to a high speed blender.

2) Blitz on high power until completely smooth.

3) Cook pasta as per package instructions. When cooked, rinse and drain in a sieve.

4) Return empty pan to stove and add beet sauce.

Cook for 3 minutes, until sauce is bubbling very gently and smells fragrant but not burnt (I do this to cook the garlic a little so it's not completely raw, but this step is optional).

5) Add pasta to the pan and coat evenly in beet sauce. Heat through, then serve in bowls topped with arugula, vegan cheese and/or walnuts, if desired.

Check out my web story on how to make this creamy pasta sauce with beets.

Storage

Store this sauce in a sealed container in the fridge (with or without the pasta) for up to 3 days.

Sauce can be frozen (without pasta) for up to one month.

How to cook raw beets

If you have raw beets instead of pre-cooked, you can prepare them like this:

1) Wash beets thoroughly and cut off roots and beet greens (you can cook greens separately if desired by sautéing - see FAQS below). Cut each beet into 1-inch pieces.

2) Bring some water to boil in a medium pot. Place a steamer basket or sieve into it and add beet pieces.

3) Cover pot and steam until beets are tender (about 15-20 mins).

4) Remove beets, allow to cool and peel off skin.

FAQs

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4.96 from 48 votes

Beet Pasta Sauce

This savoury beet pasta sauce is made with cooked beets, coconut milk, cashews and lemon zest. It can be served with regular or gluten free pasta for a delicious weeknight meal. Naturally vegan.

Prep Time8 minutes mins

Cook Time12 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: gluten-free, healthy, Italian, vegan, vegetarian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: 2 servings

Calories per serving: 442kcal

Author: Elizabeth Emery

Special Equipment

• Blender

Ingredients

• 3 small cooked beets (about 5 oz or 150g) - if you have raw, see how to cook above
• ⅓ cup cashews* (30g)
• ½ cup coconut milk (120ml)
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 2 large cloves garlic, crushed (or 3 small ones)
• 1 lemon, zested then juiced
• 1½ teaspoon sea salt
• 7 oz fettuccini, spaghetti or your favourite pasta (about 200g)

Optional

• arugula
• vegan cheese or walnuts

Instructions

• Add beets, cashews, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice (if you have more, you can use the rest for another purpose) and sea salt to a high speed blender and blitz on high power for about 20 seconds, or until completely smooth. Set aside.
• Cook pasta as per package instructions. When cooked, rinse and drain in a sieve.
• Return empty pan to stove and add beet sauce (don't add pasta yet). Cook on medium-low temperature for 3 minutes, until sauce is bubbling very gently and smells fragrant but not burnt (I do this to cook the garlic a little so it's not completely raw, but this step is optional).
• Add pasta to the pan and coat evenly in sauce. Heat through, then serve in bowls topped with arugula, vegan cheese and/or walnuts, if desired.

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Notes

*If you don't have a high speed blender, soak your cashews in water for 4 hours first - this will help get them really creamy when blended.

Substitutions:

Cashews - Can be subbed for silken tofu or sunflower seeds. If using sunflower seeds and you don't have a high speed blender, they will need to be soaked for 4 hours +.

Coconut milk - You can sub other regular unsweetened dairy-free milk. I recommend using coconut milk however, as it gives the dish a delicious indulgent flavour.

Nutritional yeast - Can be omitted, your sauce just won't have such a savoury taste.

 

Storage:

Store in a sealed container in the fridge (with or without the pasta) for up to 3 days. Sauce can be frozen (without pasta) for up to one month.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 442kcal | Carbohydrates: 48.5g | Protein: 12.6g | Fat: 25.7g | Saturated Fat: 14.9g | Sodium: 1515mg | Potassium: 599mg | Fiber: 9.1g | Sugar: 10.3g | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 4mg

If you’ve tried this beet pasta recipe, please leave a comment or tip for others below.

I'd love to know how you’ve made it your own!

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