Roasted Beet and Garlic Pasta

Written by Allison of Some the Wiser

accidentally fell in love with cooking. I wasn’t born with a desire to be in the kitchen, to test recipes and experiment with flavors. In fact, I spent many years microwaving rice packets when I was left to cook for myself. It wasn’t until I had people to care for that my kitchen love story began.

It didn’t happen overnight. Rather, I found myself in the kitchen more and more, a necessary part of raising hungry children, and then one day I realized I had fallen in love. I realized I could make my home a happier place just by making breakfast, serving dinner, cooking with care.

I was recently reminded of just how much my time in the kitchen blesses my family and my own life when I had to rush my four year old to the hospital emergency room. In a moment of Peter Pan excitement, she had leaped and met with disaster. All’s well that ends well, and twenty-two stitches later she was fine.  Fine, but it took a while for this mama’s tender heart to stop thumping.

It was the most dangerous excitement this house full of mild mannered girls has ever seen. It was also a jolting reminder of how many things I can’t protect them from, despite all my best efforts. There will bumps and bruises, broken hearts and failed dreams.  It hurt to see my baby sedated and vulnerable last week, and I’m sure it is not the last life experience I will have to watch from the sidelines.  That is the fate of being a parent.

Experiences like this are responsible for the love of cooking that I have been accidentally cultivating. As a mother, I can’t be there for everything and I can’t make everything right.  I can, however, always be there for dinner and that can make everything better.

roasted beet pasta 2

So, I give you this recipe for Roasted Beet and Garlic Pasta, because it’s good for your body and for your heart. It’s comfort food, the kind that makes my girls grin at dinner because the pasta is pink, and the kind that makes me certain that this job as mother-cook-chauffeur-toilet-scrubber is really a very good one.

Roasted Beet and Garlic Pasta

A rich and healthy pasta that is packed with nutrients. It is delicious served with a big scoop of Ricotta.  Adapted from Whole Living
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Dishes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 527kcal
Author: Allison

Ingredients

  • 1 pound whole grain spaghetti
  • 1 1/2 pounds red beets trimmed and scrubbed
  • 4 cloves whole garlic peeled
  • 1/4 cup olive oil divided
  • 1/2 cup toasted walnuts
  • 2 Tablespoons sun dried tomatoes chopped
  • freshly ground salt
  • red pepper flakes
  • 2/3 cup ricotta

Instructions

  • Prepare spaghetti according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
  • Preheat oven to 400F. Drizzle beets with olive oil and wrap beets and garlic cloves tightly in foil. Roast until very tender, approximately 1 hour. After removing from oven, remove foil and let cool slightly. Carefully peel beets and coarsely chop.
  • In a food processor, combine roasted beets, garlic, remaining olive oil, walnuts, and tomatoes. Pulse until smooth and creamy, adding reserved pasta water as needed. Season with salt to taste.
  • Toss pasta and beet mixture until well combined. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and serve with a scoop of ricotta on the side.

Nutrition

Calories: 527kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 120mg | Potassium: 673mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Vitamin C: 6.8mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 2.5mg

What compels you into the kitchen? Do you love it?

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22 Comments

  1. I have had a long and irritating day. Your post has absolutely lifted my spirits. Not only does this look like exactly what I need right now (carbs! deliciousness!) but the colour is positively uplifting. It’s hard to stay grouchy in front of a plate of pink pasta! Thankyou for sharing this.

  2. I do love being in the kitchen – the cleanup not so much! I think the freedom to create what I want in there is a big plus to me. I love to learn about new and different foods, and to cook new things for my family.

    This recipe looks fantastic! I have some beets in the fridge that I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with them, but this looks like a great idea!

  3. I was lured in by the roasted beet and garlic pasta recipe – how great does that sound???!!! Thank you for this! I am so sorry to hear about what happened to your daughter – I got a lump in my throat when I read your post. I hope she gets better soon!

  4. As a mom to three girls I will have to try this sometime… pink pasta – WOW! I also happened to buy beets for the first time EVER with this week’s groceries (for roasting) so maybe it will be sooner than later. I know what you mean about not being able to “protect (ahem… control)” everything. Twenty + stitches? Youch! Our 6 and 4 yr old have started watching some older kid movies like Flicka and Ramona… and there are so many themes in there (bullying, confidence, etc.) that make my mommy heart pound a little harder.

  5. The color of this pasta is just beautiful. I like beets but haven’t had pasta with them–will have to try it out!

  6. The pasta looks interesting. I love beets, but the rest of the family might not be an easy sale.
    My sympathy for your emergency. I remember those days. May I offer a quote by way of advice? It is from ‘Thrones, Dominations’ by Dorothy Sayers and Jill Paton-Walsh. As I remember it Lord Peter says: “There is what we can do for any child or ours and there is what no one can do for any child”. I think it is important to remember that we can’t protect other people, even children we love, from all of the pain in life. It is a hard lesson sometimes, and the quote simply put words to a lesson I had learned much earlier.

  7. I adore the color of the pasta! I love the vibrant pink/red color that beets give off. The garlic sounds like such a great addition. I’m so sorry about your 4 year old! I’m glad she’s ok – they’re all so adventurous, aren’t they? I’m glad all is well though! 🙂

  8. 5 stars
    Made this for dinner the other night with fresh beets we got from the Farmer’s Market. Seriously incredible! I took some photos and shared about it on my blog! Would love for you to check it out. Thanks for such an incredible recipe!

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  10. I only like beets 2 ways, right out of can with salt and pepper, or I like to drain them, put in bowl and stir in Miracle Whip

  11. 5 stars
    I modified the recipe a bit as I didn’t have sundries tomatoes or walnuts but it was a great base recipe.
    When blending the beets and other ingredients I added in the red pepper flakes so the flavor would mix in. I also used very little water.
    After blending I added about 1/2 can of chopped tomatoes and some onions to a pot with some oregano, basil and pepper then let that simmer for about 15 mins before adding the blended beet root sauce and cooked it all together for an additional 15-20 mins. This gave the sauce a bit more of a chunky texture.
    After enjoying the first time, I had some leftovers. I made some english muffin pizzas as a snack the next day using this sauce and it was AMAZING