Pink Pasta
on Feb 12, 2023, Updated Jan 30, 2024
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If there is something I love, it’s sneaking in vegetables where I can! This creamy Pink Pasta contains beets to give it a lovely pink hue, no harsh dyes or chemicals are necessary. So not only are you going to love how this Pink Pasta looks and tastes, but you’re also going to be excited to discover that it is dairy-free, vegan, and gluten-free! Look no further than this recipe to create the perfect 💘 Valentine’s evening meal for your loved ones.
Why You’ll Love Pink Pasta
The cashews give the sauce a creamy and nutty undertone, while the beets add a subtle earthiness and a lovely sweetness. The result is a perfectly balanced sauce that’s both rich and fresh, with a delicate sweetness that’s just right. Every bite of your pasta will be coated in this beautiful pink sauce that will leave you wanting more.
How to Prepare Pink Pasta
💦 Place cashews in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 15 to 30 minutes.
🧄 Drain the water and blend soaked cashews with a pinch of salt, garlic, beets, and filtered water until smooth.
🍝 Cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions.
🥣 Drain the pasta, and combine it with the blended sauce in a serving bowl.
🧀 Garnish your Pink Pasta with parmesan and enjoy!
Nonna’s Tip 💕
If needed, you can thin out the sauce with some reserved pasta water. You can also roast garlic (top cut off and wrapped in foil) in the oven for an even tastier outcome.
Variations and Substitutions for Pink Pasta
This gorgeous Pink Pasta 💖 Can make all your Valentine’s dinner dreams come true. If you have allergies or dietary preferences, feel free to adjust the dish as needed, however, you may need to experiment and modify the quantities.
- If you have a nut allergy, you could try using silken tofu for a creamy texture without using cashews.
- You could add herbs 🌿 like basil, parsley, or cilantro to the Pink Pasta sauce.
- Use whole wheat or gluten-free pasta for a 🌾healthier or gluten-free alternative.
- Try different pasta shapes such as penne, fusilli, or spaghetti.
- Mix in cooked chickpeas, grilled tofu, or sautéed mushrooms for added protein.
- Feel free to roast the 🧄 garlic for a sweeter flavor.
More Valentines Recipes
Heart Shaped Pizza
20 mins
Pink Blender Cake
55 mins
Heart Shaped Pancakes
10 mins
Valentines Appetizer
15 mins
Best Served With
- Some crusty bread 🥖 like my No Knead Peasant Bread
- A side 🥗 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 like using Spaghettini pasta cooked in salted water until al dente. Any will work.
The sauce can be thinned out, if needed, with some pasta water.
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.
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.
The color of the Pink Pasta will vary depending on the size of the beet. I added 1 cooked beet but you can add more.
If you are allergic to nuts you can make this recipe with regular (jarred) alfredo sauce, blended with 1 beet.
If you are gluten-free, feel free to boil any gluten-free pasta shape you like.
Pink Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews, raw unsalted
- 1 pinch salt , to taste
- 2 garlic cloves , (raw or roasted garlic, if you have this on hand)
- 1 beet, cooked or purchased pre-cooked
- 1 cup filtered water
- 1 pound pasta of choice, (400 grams)
- grated parmesan cheese , for dusting
Instructions
- Place the cashews in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Drain the water and add the soaked cashews to a blender with a pinch of salt, the garlic, the quartered and cooked beets, and filtered water. Blend until smooth.
- Cook the pasta of choice as per the package instructions until al dente. Drain the cooked pasta, add to a serving bowl, and combine with the sauce. Garnish with parmesan and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is the most PERFECT V-day recipe! Easy, no dyes, everyone loved! Thank you so much!
Delicious IF you like beets. The only thing this pasta tasted like was beets and garlic. I even added some almond milk to thin out the sauce. It looked beautiful on our plates this valentine’s day, but unfortunately, the beet flavor was just too strong for my husband. I WILL be trying this without the beets though because I miss creamy pasta in our new dairy-free life.
Thank you for the feedback hun and yes please do try it without beets as it’s even more delicious in my opinion.
Another DELICIOUS MASTERPIECE!!!
I personally cannot stand beets but I love this Pasta dish. Absolutely no Beet flavour.
It is light, very creamy and most importantly extremely delicious
Another great hit Nonna!!!’
Seems like you cannot fail !!
Thank you so much Taz 🙂