Vegan Beetroot Pasta Sauce

This savory vegan beetroot sauce is made with a roasted red beet, creamy cashews, lemon juice, garlic, and sauteed onions. Serve it with pasta for a vibrant and flavorful oil-free dinner!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings servings

Calories 372kcal

Author Stacey Eckert

Equipment

Sheet Pan
Parchment Paper
Medium Saucepan
Large Pan
Large Pot
Blender

Ingredients

16 oz farfalle pasta (use gluten-free pasta if necessary)
1 large red beet peeled
½ cup raw cashews (or raw sunflower seeds)
3-4 tbsp vegetable broth (to saute)
1 medium yellow onion sliced
3 medium garlic cloves
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
3 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 tsp lemon zest
3-4 cups fresh spinach
1 tbsp chives chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Trim the stems and greens off the beet. Wrap the beet with parchment paper or foil on a sheet pan and roast for 50-60 minutes or until the beets are tender. You can test it by sticking the beet with a fork or knife, it should slide in easily. It may take less time if you use small beets.
Put the raw cashews in a medium saucepan and cover with 1-inch of water. Bring it to a boil and let it cook for 10 minutes. Drain any excess water. Set aside.
While the beets are roasting, saute the onions in 3-4 tbsp of vegetable broth in a large pan over medium heat until they're soft and translucent. Add the sliced garlic and let it cook for 3 minutes.
Remove the cooked beets from the oven and let them cool until you can handle them without burning yourself. You can cut the skin off or use a paper towel to rub the skin off.
In a large pot, boil water and cook the pasta until tender. Drain the pasta and set it aside. While the pasta is cooking, make the beet sauce.
Add the cooked and peeled beet, boiled cashews, sauteed onions and garlic, 3 tbsp lemon juice, 1 cup almond milk, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper to a high-powered blender. Blend on high until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Pour the sauce into the pan that you cooked the onions in and warm it over medium-low heat.
Add the zest of 1 lemon, 3-4 handfuls of fresh spinach, and the cooked noodles to the pan with the beet sauce. Stir to coat the noodles in the sauce. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Garnish with chopped chives before serving.

Notes

It's important to soak or boil the cashews to soften the nuts and make them easier to digest.
Wrap the beetroot in parchment or foil to protect it while roasting. I didn't use any oil on the beets and they came out perfectly tender and not dry.
Have you seen those packages of cooked beets (I think the brand is called Love Beets) at the grocery store? If you use pre-cooked beets instead of roasting them from scratch, you could get this dinner ready in about 20 minutes. Roasting the beets is the most time-intensive part of the recipe.
To have one less pan to wash, you could combine two steps by doing the following. In a large pan, add the sliced onions, sliced garlic, and 1 cup of cashews. Cover with water, bring it to a boil and let it cook for 10 minutes. Drain any excess water and then transfer the mixture to the blender with the rest of the beet sauce ingredients.
Make sure to zest the lemon before juicing it.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or you can freeze it for a future meal.

Nutrition