Creamy Beetroot Pasta

If you are looking for delicious ways to add veggies to your diet, then this creamy beetroot pasta is a great option! Not only is the pasta cheesy and creamy, but it also has a kick of spice with the earthy flavour of beetroot. The deep reddish-purple colour of the beetroot makes the dish stand out and become a fun crowd pleaser as well.

For our recipe, we have used the Reggia Nutri Mio Penne Rigate pasta, provided to us by one of our partners, ADK General Trading. This is a gluten-free pasta, specifically formulated for gluten intolerant people. It is made of corn and rice, giving the pasta a nice, light taste.

You can use the Gannamart App to get the Reggia Nutri Mio Penne Rigate pasta or get in touch with ADK General Trading on their Viber hotline 736-3663

Serving size: 2-3

Ingredients:

For boiling the pasta and beetroots

• 5 cups water
• 170-180g peeled beetroot
• 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves
• 1 tsp salt
• 250g Reggia Nutri Mio Penne Rigate pasta
• 1 tbsp olive oil

For the beetroot sauce

• 2 large red chillies (chopped)
• ½ tsp salt

For the beetroot pasta

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• ¼ cup finely chopped onions
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp lemon zest
• 10g finely chopped almonds
• 2/3 cup cooking cream (100ml)
• 1/3 cup pasta water
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ cup chopped fresh spinach
• 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• ½ tsp salt

Instructions:

1. To a large pot, add 5 cups water and boil on high heat. Once it starts to boil (this will take around 10 minutes and fast bubbles will form on the surface of the water), add 170-180g peeled and largely chopped beetroots. Stir for 1 minute and then add 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves to the water.
2. Cook for 10 minutes until the juices come out of the beetroot and turns the water into a deep red colour. Take out the beetroot (do not drain the water) and remove the excess water by placing them on a strainer, lined with paper napkins. Set aside.
3. To the beetroot water, add 1 tsp salt and 250g Reggia Nutri Mio Penne Rigate pasta and cook for 6-7 minutes or until it is al dente (until the pasta becomes soft but has a slight firmness when you bite into it). This means just 1 minute before the pasta is fully cooked.
4. Once cooked, drain the pasta (save 1/3 cup pasta water for the sauce) and add to a large bowl. Then, mix in 1 tbsp olive oil to make sure that it doesn’t stick together. Set aside.
5. Now, prepare the beetroot sauce. To a blender, add the boiled beetroots, sliced garlic cloves, 2 chopped large red chillies, and ½ tsp salt. Then, blend on high speed for around 45 seconds or until it becomes a smooth, creamy, dark pink-coloured paste. Set aside.
6. Next, to a saucepan, add 1 tbsp unsalted butter and heat it up on low heat for 3 minutes or until it fully melts. Increase the heat to high and add ¼ cup finely chopped onions. Sauté for 2 minutes until it becomes soft and translucent.
7. To this, add 1 tsp chilli flakes, ½ tsp dried oregano, and ¼ tsp lemon zest. Sauté for 1 minute to combine everything. Then, add 10g finely chopped almonds and sauté for another minute to combine everything together.
8. Add the blended beetroot sauce, stir and cook for 1 minute until fully combined. After that, add 2/3 cup cooking cream and stir to combine again. Then, add 1/3 cup of the pasta water, and ½ tsp salt, stirring for 2 minutes to mix everything together. The cream will turn a light pink colour at this point.
9. Let the beetroot sauce simmer for 1 minute, then add the cooked pasta, along with ½ cup chopped fresh spinach and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Stir and cook for 3 more minutes. By now, the cream will turn into a bright pinkish-red colour.
10. Lastly, reduce the heat to low and add 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese and give it a final mix to melt the cheese. The pasta is now ready serve!