Beetroot Spaghetti

beetroot pasta on a small white plate sprinkled with parsley.

5 from 3 votes

This creamy beetroot spaghetti is a vibrant red pasta dish made with cooked beets, cream, and Parmesan. It’s simple to make and needs only a handful of ingredients.

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Pasta and Rice

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 627kcal

Author: Adina Beck

Ingredients

1 lb raw beetroot Note 1
1 lb spaghetti Note 2
1 small onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup vegetable stock or chicken stock
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar divided
1 cup crème fraiche or cream cheese Note 3
fine sea salt and ground black pepper

US - EU

Instructions

Prepare vegetables: Peel, rinse and roughly grate the beetroot. Set it aside. Finely chop the onion.
1 lb raw beetroot + 1 small onion
Sauté: Heat the oil in a large, deeper, non-stick pan. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook on low heat for about 3-4 minutes, adding a small splash of the stock halfway through until the onion is softer. Add the grated beets and cook on medium-low heat, stirring a few times, for about 5 minutes.
1 tablespoon olive oil
Simmer beetroot sauce: Pour in the stock and 1 teaspoon vinegar, and add salt and pepper. Stir well, cover, and cook on medium-low heat for about 25 minutes until soft.
1 cup vegetable stock + 1 teaspoons apple cider vinegar + fine sea salt and ground black pepper
Cook spaghetti: In the meantime, cook the pasta in salted water according to the instructions.
1 lb spaghetti
Make the sauce: Add dairy to the beetroots in the pan and stir well. If you use cream cheese, mix the cheese with a good splash of milk and stir it well to make it creamy. Blend the sauce with an immersion blender.
1 cup crème fraiche or cream cheese
Adjust the taste with the remaining 1 teaspoon of vinegar, salt, and pepper. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the sauce and mix gently to combine. Serve immediately (Note 4).
1 teaspoons apple cider vinegar + fine sea salt and ground black pepper

Notes

Weighed before peeling; about 400 g/ 14 oz left after peeling. So, it was a reasonably large beet. You can use 2-3 smaller ones instead.
Spaghetti or any other pasta shape you like; short pasta is fine as well.
For cream cheese, blend it with some milk to soften and make it creamier. With crème fraiche, there's no need for that step as it's already softer than cream cheese.
Additions: You can sprinkle the dish with chopped parsley or chives and freshly grated Parmesan (optional). Or top the dish with crumbled feta, roasted pine nuts, or walnuts.

Nutrition