A vibrant pasta dish with silky beetroot cream sauce, garlic, and Parmesan. Vegetarian, Italian-inspired, and ready in 40 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 14 oz dried penne or rigatoni
02 - Salt, for boiling water
→ Beet Cream Sauce
03 - 2 medium cooked beets (about 8 oz), peeled and chopped
04 - 2 tbsp olive oil
05 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
06 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
08 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
09 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
10 - 1 tbsp lemon juice
11 - 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
12 - Salt, to taste
→ Garnish
13 - Fresh basil leaves, for serving
14 - Extra grated Parmesan
# How-To Steps:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain pasta.
02 - While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
03 - Add chopped beets to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat.
04 - Transfer beet mixture to a blender. Add heavy cream, butter, lemon juice, black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Blend until completely smooth.
05 - Pour the beet cream sauce back into the skillet over low heat. Stir in grated Parmesan cheese until melted and smooth. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
06 - Add drained pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat. Add reserved pasta water as needed until the sauce reaches a silky consistency.
07 - Serve immediately, garnished with fresh basil and extra Parmesan.
