Roasted Beet and Garlic Pasta
Roasted Beet and Garlic Pasta with Goat Cheese has an amazing color and flavors that are just as strong. Eating pink pasta never tasted so good!
As I mentioned the other day, I like to challenge myself to make pink foods that don’t use any food coloring. Lucky for me, Hubby and I both love beets. In fact, this summer we threw some on the grill just to try it. OMG. Seriously. Hubby’s favorite grilled vegetable is now beets (mine is red peppers).
So when I saw the concept of making a beet pesto to put on pasta, I knew I’d be making it this October. I made some changed to the recipe based on what we had lying around the kitchen and what we like. Roasted garlic is a must. When I’m roasting anything, I like to throw a bulb of garlic in some foil and roast it while the oven is on. We always find a way to use up roasted garlic and it keeps in the fridge for about a week. I also threw a clove of fresh garlic in the sauce just to give it a little bite.
Hubby and I rarely eat pasta. In fact, we don’t even keep it in the house. I had to add pasta to the grocery list so we would have some. I know a lot of people who love pasta and eat it on a regular basis, but that’s just not us.
This was a comforting meal that’s perfect for this time of year. I served it with some Onion Focaccia with Rosemary and a nice big glass of wine. And just look at that color! Hubby took some leftovers in his lunch and he said he got quite a few comments when people saw him eating it.
Don’t forget about my Power of Pink Challenge! Make something PINK during the month of October to raise Breast Cancer Awareness and a chance to win a $100 donation to the charity of your choice.
One Year Ago: Vanilla Spiced Applesauce
Two Years Ago: Pink Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Three Years Ago: Homemade Marshmallows and Smores Cookies
Five Years Ago: Pizza Night
Six Years Ago: Caramel Mocha Cupcakes and Tofu and Veggies in Peanut Sauce
Roasted Beet and Garlic Pasta
Roasted Beet and Garlic Pasta with Goat Cheese has an amazing color and flavors that are just as strong. Eating pink pasta never tasted so good!
Ingredients:
1 pound whole grain spaghetti
1 1/2 pounds red beets, trimmed and scrubbed
7 whole garlic cloves
4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
freshly ground salt
4 oz goat cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degF. Drizzle beets with 2 Tbsp olive oil and wrap beets and 6 of the garlic cloves (no need to peel them) tightly in foil. Roast until very tender, approximately 1 hour.
Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to instructions on box. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
After removing beets and garlic from oven, remove foil and let cool slightly. Once cool enough to touch, use a spoon to peel skin off beets and coarsely chop. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of it's skin.
In a food processor, combine roasted beets, roasted garlic, remaining olive oil, walnuts, and peeled raw garlic clove. Pulse until smooth and creamy, adding reserved pasta water as needed. Add goat cheese and pulse until combined. Season with salt to taste.
Toss pasta and beet mixture until well combined. Sprinkle with more goat cheese if desired.
Recipe inspired by Simple Bites
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
There is absolutely a time and place for everything! I totally agree. This is such a classic dish, and you’ve made it beautifully. 🙂
Such a great dish. My only complaint is when people use canned green beans. The taste and texture can be killed with canned green beans. I don’t like to hear my green beans screeching while I chew them.
This picture looks delicious, by the way.
I love green bean casserole. It’s one of my favorite holiday recipes. Sometimes we spice things up and add browned ground beef to the green bean mixture and top it with mashed potatoes. This makes it more like a dinner casserole and then I can justify eating plates and plates of it…hahaha.
Ya know, this looks good, but I’ve never been anywhere this was served. Seems I might be missing out?
I completely agree with Joe. I always use fresh or frozen green beans.
We make this every year too at Thanksgiving and Christmas.My 4 kids hate mushrooms so we use cream of celery or cream of chicken.
I completely agree, this recipe is perfect (and very nostalgic) just the way it is on the package. It just wouldn’t feel like a holiday meal without this dish!
This is one of my favorite holiday side dishes! Canned green beans, soup, and all! I agree with you about having the time and place for such ingredients; it’s such a classic and familiar recipe.