Pink Pasta with Beets
This Pink Pasta with Beets is naturally vibrant, savory, and comforting, with a buttery garlic sauce, fresh lemon, and a finish of Parmesan and balsamic. Easy enough for a weeknight but stunning enough for Valentine’s Day, it’s a fun, flavorful way to turn simple ingredients into something truly special.
Ingredients
- 16 oz. fresh beets scrubbed well or peeled and trimmed, and cut in half and then into slices
- 3 quarts water
- ½ bottle dry red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Chianti
- 1 ½ tablespoons sea salt
- 8 ounces fettuccine or linguine
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 5-6 cloves garlic roughly chopped or sliced
- ¼- ½ teaspoon red pepper chile flakes or Calabrian chiles
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice plus more to taste
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley plus more to garnish
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze plus more to taste
Instructions
- Add the prepared beets and water to a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 15 minutes.
- Pour in the red wine and salt and bring back to a boil.
- Stir in the pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente.
- Strain the pasta and beets and set aside.
- Return the empty pan to medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter is melted, add the garlic and chili flakes and cook for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant and lightly golden.
- Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the lemon juice. Add the pasta and beets, parmesan cheese, chopped flat-leaf parsley, and gently toss to coat.
- Serve the pasta hot, drizzled with balsamic vinegar or glaze and garnished with chopped parsley to taste.
Notes
- Prep the garlic sauce ingredients ahead of time. Once the pasta and beets are cooked, the final steps move quickly, so having the garlic, butter, olive oil, lemon juice, and parsley ready makes everything stress-free and seamless.
- Salt the cooking water generously. This is your main chance to season the pasta itself, infusing it with flavor from the inside out rather than relying on the sauce alone.
- Use fresh beets, not pre-cooked. Pre-cooked or vacuum-sealed beets don’t have the same natural pigment or fresh flavor, while raw beets deliver the bold pink color and taste—and they’re usually more budget-friendly, too.
- Use fresh garlic and cook it gently. Fresh garlic delivers the best flavor, but keep the heat moderate so it turns fragrant and golden—not bitter or burnt.
- Adjust the heat and acidity to taste. Start with fewer chiles and add more if you like spice, then finish with lemon and balsamic gradually to balance the earthy sweetness of the beets.
- Refrigerating — Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: Once cooled, transfer to a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator until thawed.
- Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or olive oil to loosen the pasta and refresh the sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 500kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 13gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 700mgPotassium: 571mgFiber: 5gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 741IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 150mgIron: 2mg
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