This vegan beet pasta sauce recipe is perfect for Valentine’s Day, pink-themed parties, or baby showers. This sauce is easy to make and nutrient dense. It’s rich, creamy, and flavorful.
Main ingredients and substitutions
This recipe calls for fresh red beets. Be sure to use red beets as opposed to golden beets, otherwise this pasta sauce won’t turn out pink.
Cashews give this sauce a creamy consistency. Use unsalted cashews – either roasted or raw is fine.
Lemon juice and zest add a bright, fresh flavor that balances the creaminess of the sauce.
Fresh garlic adds a savory layer of flavor to this vegan beet sauce.
Serve this sauce with any kind of pasta that suits your taste and dietary requirements. There are so many delicious whole-grain, gluten-free, and grain-free pasta options these days.
How to make vegan beet pasta sauce
Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Add 1 cup boiling water
and 1 cup unsalted cashews to a bowl. Let the cashews soak in the boiled water for one hour.
While the cashews are soaking, peel, then roughly chop the beets. Add the peeled, chopped beets to a baking dish, along with 1/4 cup of cold water.
Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil, then bake the beets for one hour or until they are fork tender.
Once the cashews have finished soaking, use a colander to drain and discard the soaking water, rinse the cashews, then add the cashews to the blender or food processor. Add the cooked beets, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic clove, cold water, and salt to the blender or food processor.
Blend until smooth and creamy.
Serve with your favorite pasta. I like to mix cooked pasta with the sauce in a pot on the stove set to low-medium heat for one to two minutes before serving.
Optional garnishes
Garnish this dish with a sprinkle of fresh chopped chives, basil, or parsley, if desired.
Vegan Beet Pasta Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 cup boiling water (for soaking the cashews)
- 1 cup unsalted cashews
- 2 medium fresh red beets
- 1/4 cup cold water (for cooking the beets)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- 1 garlic clove
- 3/4 cup cold water (for the sauce)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add 1 cup boiling water and 1 cup unsalted cashews to a bowl.
- Let the cashews soak in the boiled water for one hour. While the cashews are soaking, peel, then roughly chop 2 medium fresh red beets.
- Add the peeled, chopped beets to a baking dish, along with 1/4 cup cold water, then cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil.
- Bake the beets for one hour at 400 degrees Fahrenheit or until they are fork tender.
- Once the cashews have finished soaking, use a colander to drain and discard the soaking water, rinse the cashews, then add the cashews to the blender or food processor.
- Add the cooked beets, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest, 1 garlic clove, 3/4 cup cold water, and 3/4 teaspoon salt to the blender or food processor, then blend until smooth and creamy.
- Serve this sauce with your favorite pasta. I like to mix the cooked pasta with the blended pink sauce in a pot on the stove set to low-medium heat for a couple of minutes before serving.
Notes
- Store this sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
- Optional garnishes for this sauce include fresh chopped chives, basil, or parsley.
Nutrition
Another vegan dinner recipe to try
- This simple quinoa with pesto dish is loaded with fresh flavors.