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Justine Doiron

just real good food

Pasta, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegetarian · May 19, 2022

Beet-Pink Macaroni & Cheese

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This is not your average macaroni and cheese, this is a beet-pink macaroni and cheese. And I could even use two Mean Girls references in this blog post and also say that on Wednesdays – WE EAT PINK. Even though I am uploading this recipe on a Thursday, but….just let me have this.

But back to this macaroni and cheese – which I know, looks unlike any macaroni and cheese you’ve had before. And it probably will taste different too. And that’s because beets are the staple, the pillar, and the main character of this beet mac n’ cheese recipe.

They carry the team, but you still get none of that “dirt” beet flavor. The reason for that, is because we cut the sweetness and the earthiness of the beets with some bright, salty and creamy parmesan. You wouldn’t think these two ingredients play nice together, but when you combine them, they really sing.

And what you’re left with is a saucy, glossy, perfect pasta that just happens to be a showstopper. And I’m looking for showstoppers. It’s dinner party season, after all.

Table of contents

  • The ingredients you need for this beet macaroni and cheese
  • The process for this beet pasta recipe
  • Looking for other mac n’ cheese recipes?

The ingredients you need for this beet macaroni and cheese

  • 2 medium beets
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 6 ounces freshly grated parmesan around 3 cups, unpacked
  • 16 ounces pasta of choice

The process for this beet pasta recipe

Although it is a gorgeous recipe, it really requires very minimal effort. I just advise that you watch your technique, especially when mixing the sauce, cheese and pasta water. If you go too slowly, you might end up with a clumpy mess, and if you go to fast, you might water down the sauce. Here’s a full step-by-step of the instructions:

  • Preheat the oven to 425F.
  • Wash the beets well, and then cut them into cubes. Peel the garlic cloves. Place the beets and garlic in foil, cover them with olive oil and season with salt.
  • Enclose the vegetables in foil and roast in the oven at 425F for 30 minutes, or until the beets are fork tender.
  • While the vegetables are roasting, grate the parmesan and set aside.
  • When the vegetables have 10 minutes of roasting time left, bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it like the sea. Cook your pasta to al dente, drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.
  • In a large blender, add the beets and garlic and a splash of pasta water. Blend until smooth. I recommend doing this in a blender where you can ventilate the top, to avoid any pressure build-up as you blend. Add pasta water as needed, you want this sauce to feel like a very think purée.
  • Keep the pasta in the pot you boiled it in, add a generous splash of pasta water, the beet sauce and a handful of the parmesan. Stir until glossy. Continue to add handfuls of parmesan and splashes of water until you reach your desired sauce thickness and texture. Reserve at least 1/4 cup parmesan for topping.
  • Plate and top with leftover parmesan, salt and pepper. Enjoy immediately 🙂

Looking for other mac n’ cheese recipes?

I have plenty that are just as good (and a little less? more? adventurous) as this beet macaroni and cheese. Here are a few of my favorites:

Miso Mac (But No Cheese)
This recipe is all miso mac, but no cheese. It's a copycat Annie's Mac n' Cheese recipe that is easily made dairy-free, vegan and takes minutes to make. This is my ultimate comfort food recipe and I love it as an easy weekday meal.
Check out this recipe
Butternut Squash Mac n’ Cheese
The world went NUTS for the Trader Joe's frozen version, but I just knew I could make it better. This recipe is cheesy, easy, delicious and perfect for fall.
Check out this recipe
Sun Dried Tomato Mac n’ Cheese
I used to think mac n' cheese was too rich to be a summer food, but then I made this recipe. It's six main ingredients, super cheesy but still light, and uses a whole jar of sun dried tomatoes – so no worries about what to do with any leftovers!
Check out this recipe

And that’s it for this beet pasta recipe!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3

Beet-Pink Macaroni and Cheese

5 from 1 vote
This is not your average mac n' cheese. This is a bright-pink, super glossy, salty but slightly sweet, parmesan-filled macaroni and cheese. And the best part is it's so easy to make. Just roast, blend and pour, and you have pasta.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time:10 minutes mins
Cook Time:30 minutes mins
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Fusion
Keyword: beets, parmesan
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 medium beets
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 6 ounces freshly grated parmesan around 3 cups, unpacked
  • 16 ounces pasta of choice

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425F.
  • Wash the beets well, and then cut them into cubes. Peel the garlic cloves. Place the beets and garlic in foil, cover them with olive oil and season with salt.
  • Enclose the vegetables in foil and roast in the oven at 425F for 30 minutes, or until the beets are fork tender.
  • While the vegetables are roasting, grate the parmesan and set aside.
  • When the vegetables have 10 minutes of roasting time left, bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it like the sea. Cook your pasta to al dente, drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.
  • In a large blender, add the beets and garlic and a splash of pasta water. Blend until smooth. I recommend doing this in a blender where you can ventilate the top, to avoid any pressure build-up as you blend. Add pasta water as needed, you want this sauce to feel like a very think purée.
  • Keep the pasta in the pot you boiled it in, add a generous splash of pasta water, the beet sauce and a handful of the parmesan. Stir until glossy. Continue to add handfuls of parmesan and splashes of water until you reach your desired sauce thickness and texture. Reserve at least 1/4 cup parmesan for topping.
  • Plate and top with leftover parmesan, salt and pepper. Enjoy immediately 🙂

Posted In: Pasta, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tara says

    May 27, 2022 at 5:15 pm

    5 stars
    This was seriously incredible. You were absolutely right, the earthiness and sweetness of the beets mixed so well with the tang of the fresh parmesan. It was also a flexible recipe, I think I added an extra beet and some extra parmesan to make a bigger batch and it still tasted so amazing. Thanks for the recipe!

    • Justine says

      May 27, 2022 at 8:17 pm

      I am so thrilled you liked it! Thank you for taking the time to leave this comment <3

  2. Ryan Hight says

    June 2, 2022 at 11:10 pm

    Surprisingly very good! And this is from a beet hater!

    • Justine says

      June 2, 2022 at 11:10 pm

      Haha we love a good surprise! So glad you liked!

  3. Krista says

    June 11, 2022 at 3:43 am

    I love beets so much and have had this recipe saved on insta for a while now. I finally made it tonight and OMG it’s my new favorite pasta sauce! So beautiful and simple! Thank you for the recipe, this will be a new staple in our house 😊

    • Justine says

      June 11, 2022 at 10:25 am

      I’m so glad you liked it!! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment 🙂

  4. Malia says

    June 12, 2022 at 1:39 am

    Really good and super simple to make! For those planning on making the recipe watch the temperature when adding cheese to make sure that the Parmesan doesn’t congeal. It’s a really delicious (and pretty) meal to make.

    • Justine says

      June 12, 2022 at 11:42 am

      I’m so thrilled you made it (and liked it!) Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment <3

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