Barbie Pasta
on Feb 10, 2024
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“Warning: Nonna’s and Nonno’s around the world might faint 🤌when they see the color of this pasta, but please don’t let that stop you from trying it. This is a delicious and fun dish that will make you feel like a kid again! Introducing my take on the viral Barbie Pasta – the ultimate combination of vibrant colors and mouth-watering flavors! As The Modern Nonna, I pride myself on bringing new and exciting dishes to the table, and this pasta dish is no exception. Trust👏yo👏girl👏and make this dish!
Why You’ll Love Barbie Pasta
The Barbie Pasta may not be a traditional Italian dish, but trust me, it’s a recipe that you don’t want to miss out on! The combination of caramelized garlic 🧄and creamy ricotta cheese creates a beautiful rich sauce that will make you feel like you’re dining in a fancy Italian restaurant. And the beets? They add a touch of natural sweetness and earthiness without overpowering the dish. Don’t worry, you won’t be able to taste them! So, if you’re looking for a pasta dish that’s both flavorful and healthy, then this Barbie Pasta is the perfect choice for you. Not to mention, it’s quick and easy to make, so you won’t have to spend all day in the kitchen like a MasterChef contestant.
How to Prepare Barbie Pasta
🧄 Cut the top off a head of garlic and place it in a ramekin.
🫒 Drizzle olive oil over the garlic and cover the ramekin with a lid or foil.
🔥 Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 35-40 minutes until garlic is soft and caramelized.
🧊 Let the garlic cool, then squeeze it out of the skin.
💦 Boil water in a pot, salt generously, and cook pasta until al dente, reserving some pasta water.
🧀 Make the sauce by blending ricotta, cooked beets, Parmigiano cheese, salt, roasted garlic, and pasta water.
💖 Adjust the thickness of the sauce with more pasta water if needed.
🍝 Pour the sauce over cooked pasta and serve the Barbie Pasta with hot pepper oil or extra Parmigiano cheese. Enjoy!
Nonna’s Tip
You can also bake the garlic in parchment paper (and make sure you enclose it fully) on a baking sheet.
Variations and Substitutions for Barbie Pasta
Feel free to adjust this lovely 💖 Barbie Pasta and make it your own! The recipe lends itself to some creativity so don’t forget to let me know in the comments what you try!
- Experiment with different types of pasta such as spaghetti, penne, fusilli, or even whole wheat or gluten-free varieties to suit your taste or dietary preferences.
- If you don’t have Parmigiano 🧀 cheese, you can use pecorino Romano or asiago.
- Add crushed red pepper flakes or chopped fresh chili peppers for a 🔥 spicy kick.
- Garnish the pasta with chopped fresh 🌿 herbs such as basil, parsley, or chives.
- Add some protein like grilled chicken, or ground beef or turkey.
More Pink Recipes
Best Served With
- Some crusty bread like my No Knead Peasant Bread
- A light salad 🥗
Common Questions
I use Redmond Real Salt, please note that depending on the salt you use, your dish may be less or more salty. Salt is to taste so please always taste and adjust as you cook.
I used Gemelli by Garofalo but any will work for this recipe so have fun and experiment with different shapes and sizes.
Feel free to roast or boil your own beets, then peel them. I find it super messy so I buy pre-cooked beets from the grocery store.
This sauce makes enough for 4 portions of pasta, or you can cook 1/2 pound (200 grams) of dry pasta and add as much sauce as you like for 2 servings.
The color of the Barbie Pasta will vary depending on the size of the beet. I added 1 cooked beet but you can add more.
Barbie Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 whole garlic bulb
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 75 grams ricotta cheese
- 75 grams Parmigiano cheese
- 100 grams beets, cooked
- 200 grams pasta, any of choice
- salt , to taste
- starchy pasta water, to bind the sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Cut the top off of a whole head of garlic and place it in a small ramekin. Add a small drizzle of olive oil on top, and put a lid on top of the ramekin.
- If you don’t have a lid you can cover it with foil. You can also bake the garlic in parchment paper (and make sure you enclose it fully) on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the garlic is soft and caramelized. Take the garlic out and let it cool a bit.
- In the meantime, fill a large pot with water. Bring it up to a boil and generously salt the water. Add in any pasta of choice.
- Cook the pasta until al-dente making sure to save the starchy pasta water prior to draining.
- Now, make the sauce by adding ricotta, cooked beets, parmigiano cheese, pinch of salt, roasted garlic (squeezed out from the skin) and 2 ladles of the starchy pasta water to a food processor or blender.
- Blend until smooth and feel free to adjust the starchy water based on how thick or thin you want the sauce.
- Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta and enjoy with hot pepper oil or extra parmigiano on top! Enjoy
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is insanely good. I was dubious about using a whole head of garlic, but WOW. The depth of the flavor!! This sauce could go on so many things other than pasta. Absolutely delicious! And beautiful. 😊
So glad you enjoyed it, Margarita! It is really quite a beautiful dish! Thank you for the rating!! ❤️