This 20-minute creamy 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 in a pasta dish, but actually, with the perfect combination of ingredients (coconut milk for creaminess and lemon zest for freshness) they make the most delicious savoury sauce with a vibrant color.
And did I mention how EASY it is to make? You literally add a few simple ingredients to a blender, blitz for 20 seconds, and there you have it: a mouthwatering, healthy pasta sauce.
This creamy beet sauce makes a great weeknight meal (like my Easy Chickpea Spinach Curry or Tahini Pasta) or Valentine's Day dinner, 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. For best results, use cooked beets as they're milder and sweeter than raw (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'.
Fresh 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.
Pasta - Use a gluten free option like brown rice pasta, if needed.
How to make beet pasta sauce
1) Add pre-cooked beets, cashews, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon and sea salt to a high-speed blender or food processor.
2) Blitz on high power until completely smooth.
3) Cook pasta in a large pot as per package directions. When al dente, rinse and drain in a sieve.
4) Return empty pan to stove and add beet sauce.
Cook for 3 minutes on medium heat, 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 cooked pasta to the pan and coat evenly in beet sauce. Heat through, then serve in bowls topped with arugula, fresh basil, black pepper, vegan goat cheese parmesan cheese and/or walnuts, if desired.
Check out my web story on how to make this beet pasta sauce recipe.
Storage
Store this sauce in an airtight container in the fridge (with or without the pasta) for 3-5 days.
Sauce can be frozen (without pasta) for up to one month.
When reheating, you may need to add a splash of water as the sauce thickens when refrigerated.
How to cook raw beets
If you have raw instead of cooked or roasted beets, 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 fork tender (about 10-15 mins).
4) Remove beets, allow to cool and peel off skin.
FAQs
Some foods that go well with beetroot or beets are fennel, nuts, apples, citrus and mustard.
I've used lemon zest in this recipe because it compliments the earthy flavour of the beets, and have suggested topping the sauce with walnuts because their creaminess adds to the overall flavour.
You can eat them! They're actually good for you as they're a dark leafy green and contain many vitamins and minerals. I recommend sautéing lightly in a little oil and salt to best enjoy them, but there are many ways you can enjoy beet greens.
More quick pasta recipes
Beet Pasta Sauce
Special Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 small cooked red beets (about 6 oz or 170g) - if you have raw, see how to cook above
- ⅓ cup cashews* (30g)
- ½ cup coconut milk (120ml)
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 large garlic cloves, crushed (or 3 small ones)
- 1 lemon zested, then 1 tablespoon juiced
- 1½ teaspoon sea salt
- 11 oz fettuccini, spaghetti or your favorite pasta (about 300g)
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, fresh herbs, vegan feta cheese and/or walnuts, if desired.
Notes
Nutritional information per serving
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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Debra
A tasty way to use beets. The sauce was easy to make and deliciously creamy.
Elizabeth
So glad you liked it Debra! I agree, it's so creamy.
nancy
This beet pasta sauce was really lovely. I recently been on a beet rage and this hit the spot
Elizabeth
Excellent! I hear you Nancy - sometimes beets are just what you need. 🙂
Andrea
This pasta sauce turned out amazing! Love the color too.
Elizabeth
So glad it worked so well for you Andrea! The colour is my favourite part too.
Lucy
This beet pasta sauce is amazing. I'm allergic to tomatoes so really struggle to find pasta sauces as so many are made from them. This is the perfect alternative, thank you.
Elizabeth
That's really great to hear - I know, we need more non-tomato pasta sauces in the world!
Oscar
What a unique and interesting pasta sauce. I love beets so I think I am going to love this recipe. Making it this weekend. Thank you.
Elizabeth
Let me know how it goes Oscar! Even I was surprised by how good it tasted and how beautifully it turned out. 🙂
Catherine Van de Weghe
I love beetroot and wanted to try a new way to use them. This recipe was perfect. I used feta cheese instead of nutritional yeast and it turned out great. Also a great alternative to tomato sauce as I can't eat tomatoes. I added fresh basil on top and it tasted increbible. Thank you for the recipe!
Elizabeth
Ah so happy to hear this! Really glad you're able to enjoy a tomato-free option. ☺️ Love your customizations!
Martha S.
I agree with everyone else -- this dish is so tasty, it is an instant favorite. Love the nuanced creaminess and fun color, of course! And it comes together incredibly fast.
I followed the sauce recipe to a T, and served it over rice noodles with some wilted chard and baked tofu. So, so good!
Elizabeth
So happy to hear this Martha! And I love that you added tofu and chard as well - my favourites. 🙂
Jenny
I recently let my kids try a beet hummus and they weren’t a fan. How strong of a “beet flavor” do these have?
Elizabeth
The flavour is there, but there are also things like lemon zest and coconut milk which make it less pungent. I also find if you buy the pre-cooked beets, they tend to have less strong flavour. Hope this helps!
Patricia
Very tasty and creamy. I also added some lime beans on top, and they fitted super well!
Elizabeth
Oh good idea! I'll have to try this next time. Thanks for the lovely feedback. 🙂
Lauren
Sounds too simple to be THIS AMAZING, but it’s THAT amazing. So so so good.
Elizabeth
I'm so happy you love it! It's a favourite of mine too. 🙂