Baked Feta and Beet Pasta Sauce (GF + Vegan Options)- Alphafoodie

Name: Baked Feta and Beet Pasta Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 pound beetroot (3 medium/large ones); 7 oz feta block (French or Danish is best but Greek will work too. Block feta not crumbled.); 2 garlic cloves; 3 Tbsp lemon (1 lemon); 1 Tbsp olive oil; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 0.5 oz fresh oregano (or basil, dill, tarragon, or thyme); 1/4 cup walnuts (raw or toasted, optional); 10.6 oz pasta (of choice); 1 cup pasta water (or more, for thinning the sauce)

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This baked feta and beet pasta sauce combines earthy-sweet beets with salty, savory feta, garlic, herbs, and your favorite pasta of choice – all topped off with some crunchy walnuts. The result is a quick and simple, healthy, flavor-packed, meat-free meal!

When the viral TikTok baked feta pasta sauce trend surfaced earlier this year, I jumped (headfirst) into it with joy. I’ve already shared recipes for baked feta and tomato pasta and a version with spinach and mushrooms. Now, it’s the turn of this earthy baked feta and beet pasta sauce.

Beetroot, feta, and walnut are a classic match and perfect for serving up with a hearty bowl of pasta for a wonderful mid-week meal. All you need to do is prep your sauce ingredients, chuck them in a baking dish and bake to perfection. Meanwhile, cook up your pasta of choice (you could even use homemade pasta!) and combine and serve. Top off with some crunchy, buttery walnuts to finish off the dish, and voila!

The result is a dish packed with flavor, fiber, healthy fats, and tons of vitamins and minerals. With just a tweak or two, this recipe can also be made gluten-free and/or vegan!

Mixing cooked pasta into beetroot pasta sauce

Enjoy warm and then serve the leftovers as a chilled beetroot pasta salad with some peppery arugula or delicate baby spinach – delicious! Even better, you can prepare the beet sauce in advance and store it in the fridge or freezer, ready for pasta/pasta salad whenever the craving hits.

I love keeping some form of pasta sauce in my freezer at all times for quick mid-week meals. I currently have some roasted tomato sauce, roasted red pepper sauce, and easy vegan bolognese in my freezer!

Want more inspiration for delicious, simple pasta dishes? Why not try this easy vegan bechamel pasta bake, vegetarian one-pot pasta bake, or green spinach pasta salad.

The Ingredients

Pasta: use your favorite pasta of choice. I used rigatoni this time and find tubular-shaped pasta is excellent for picking up all the sauce. Feel free to use homemade pasta, too – like vegan pasta, egg pasta, or even lentil pasta! You could also use gnocchi, orzo, or even couscous. Use gluten-free pasta if needed. Also, keep some of the water in which the pasta cooked.
Beetroot: I use fresh, raw beets that I roast myself for this beetroot pasta sauce. Read the FAQs for subs.
Feta: you’ll need a block of feta for this baked feta and beet pasta sauce. Don’t use the crumbled or pre-cubed type. I recommend French or Danish feta, which is slightly creamier. Alternatively, you could do a blend of ricotta and goat cheese.
Olive oil: or another neutral cooking oil, like avocado oil.
Lemon: use fresh lemon for the best (and tastiest) results. You could also save some lemon zest for the sauce if preferred.
Aromatics: I used a combination of garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper. You could substitute the oregano for basil, dill, parsley, tarragon, or thyme. Cumin might also taste nice with the combination of ingredients.
Walnuts: technically optional, but walnuts (raw or toasted) pair wonderfully with beets and feta. If you’re not a fan of walnuts, you could try other nuts/seeds like pine nuts, poppy seeds, almonds, etc. You could alternatively use some homemade breadcrumbs to top the beetroot and feta pasta for crunch.

Optional Add-ins & Variations

Turn it into a pasta salad: beetroot and feta salad is a classic, so why not turn this into a cold pasta salad. Serve cold with some spinach, kale, or arugula. Feel free to add in extra ingredients like pear or orange segments. Other herbs will also work well, like mint.
For spice: add in some thinly sliced red chilies or a big pinch of chili flakes. Adjust to your personal preference.
Honey: honey balances the salty flavor of the feta well while enhancing the natural sweetness in the beets. Add just a drizzle to the top of the feta before baking, and feel free to increase after to taste. Instead of honey, you could also try maple or agave, though honey pairs best.
Pomegranate: just a small handful of pomegranate seeds adds a sweet and tangy flavor that pairs well with the feta and beet sauce.
Red onion: slice it up into thin half-moons and scatter it around the bottom of the baking dish to roast in the oven. Alternatively, do the same with shallots.
Cream: for an even creamier beet pasta sauce, feel free to add a little cream or creme fraiche when blending.
Balsamic vinegar: or a balsamic reduction could be used to drizzle over the served pasta dish. Balsamic and red wine vinegar are popular additions to regular feta and beetroot salad, so I imagine they’d taste superb with this baked feta beetroot pasta too!
Make it vegan: you can use dairy-free feta; just note that vegan feta (not tofu-based) tends to melt entirely when baked. I recommend adding ⅓-½ to the baking dish (if any!) and keeping the remainder and crumbling it into the sauce.

How to Make Baked Feta and Beet Pasta Sauce

Step 1: Chop the beets

First, wash your beets well, and then chop them into smaller pieces (to help them roast faster). Make sure to do this on a non-porous surface as the beets can stain.

Step 2: Roast the ingredients

Add the block of feta to the middle of a large baking dish and surround it with the chopped beets, oregano (placed at the bottom of the dish to avoid them burning), and a drizzle of olive oil.

You can optionally roast the garlic, too, for a sweeter, more mellow taste. Also, feel free to leave the feta unbaked (however, I like the flavor and texture that baking it provides.

Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and add just a drizzle more oil to the top of the feta block. Then bake in a preheated oven for 30-40 minutes at 425ºF/220ºC – this will depend on how big you chop the beets. I recommend checking at 20 minutes to make sure nothing is burning.

Before and after baking beetroot and feta

Step 3: Cook your pasta

Meanwhile, in the last 10-or-so minutes of roasting the beets with feta, you can cook your pasta of choice, according to their package instruction. Make sure to save some of the pasta water as it will help the sauce to adhere to the pasta.

Step 4: Blend the beet pasta sauce

Allow the baked ingredients to cool slightly before transferring the beets and oregano to a blender/food processor along with the garlic and lemon. Blend into a creamy consistency.

Steps for preparing beetroot pasta sauce

You can add the feta at the same time if you want it fully incorporated. However, I hand-mashed it into the beet sauce for a little more texture. You can then add a little pasta water to help thin the beetroot and feta cheese pasta sauce to your desired consistency.

Step 5: Assemble the baked feta and beet pasta

Combine the sauce with your cooked pasta of choice and top off with some crushed walnuts and, optionally, some extra oregano – then serve!

How to Store the Feta and Beet Pasta

Make ahead: you can prepare the feta beet pasta sauce in advance and store it in the fridge or freezer. To do so, simply follow the recipe apart from cooking the pasta, allow the sauce to cool, and then transfer to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. You can store it for 4-5 days in the refrigerator or freeze it for up to 4 months in the freezer. Reheat on the stovetop, optionally with a splash of water if needed.

Note: you can also prepare the beetroot sauce without the feta – this can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months!

Fridge: store the leftover beet and baked feta pasta in an airtight container and enjoy it within 4-5 days. You can enjoy the leftovers warm or chilled.

Freeze: separate the pasta into individual portions ad then freeze for 4 months. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before enjoying cold or reheating. The texture of the feta may change slightly upon thawing.

FAQs

Can I use canned/pre-steamed/frozen beets?

Technically, yes, you can use pre-cooked beets (if frozen, then thaw them first). This will save on roasting time as you can chuck everything in a blender/processor immediately. However, you’ll also miss out on the roasted beets’ caramelized sweetness and the extra dimension of flavor that baking the feta adds.
You could also boil or steam the beets yourself instead of roasting (which will take less time). However, as previously said, I prefer the flavor of the roasted beets.

Do I need to peel the beets?

Nope – you can if you prefer to do (if they’re not organic, were very dirty, or you don’t like the extra earthy flavor they provide). However, they’ll blend up fine with the beet pasta sauce.

Can I use golden beets?

If you like the flavor of golden beets, then go for it! Golden beets aren’t as earthy as red beets and are slightly sweeter – meaning they have an almost ‘smoother’ flavor. However, the flavor balance will slightly change in the dish because of this, so you may need to adapt seasonings.

What does the feta beet pasta sauce taste like?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, this baked feta recipe with beetroot tastes like feta and beetroot but elevated. By baking the ingredients, the beets lose some of their raw earthiness and caramelize slightly for a rich sweetness. Meanwhile, the feta lightly browns in the oven, adding more depths of flavor. When combined with garlic, lemon, and herbs – it’s a flavor explosion in your mouth!

Recipe Notes & Variations

Picking beets: some believe that the smaller the beet, the sweeter the flavor. However, if the larger beets are just as shiny, smooth, and round as the smaller ones – then they should be just as sweet/tender. If, on the other hand, the beets are bumpy/lumpy, dull, or otherwise oddly shaped, this can mean that they are over-matured and won’t be as sweet or tender in the middle.
To bake or not: this recipe is fairly versatile in that you can use pre-cooked beets with no baking necessary and even decide not to bake the feta. However, I think it’s important to note that each ingredient you choose not to bake will affect the final flavor of the beet pasta sauce- especially since roasting adds caramelization and depths of flavor to the various elements.
If you have beets greens: don’t throw away the stems/leaves from your beets (if they look fresh still). You can steam or saute them, add them to salads, or even turn them into beet greens pesto (similarly to how I did with this carrot greens pesto).
How else to use the beet sauce: I find this cheesy beet sauce works best with pasta and similar dishes, like with couscous, orzo, and other grains. You could also use the sauce as a layer in lasagna or spread a little in sandwiches/wraps for extra flavor.
To toast the walnuts: add them to a dry pan over medium heat and lightly toast until fragrant and lightly browned. They’ll burn quickly, so keep a constant eye on them.

Other Homemade Pasta Sauce Recipes

Avocado pasta in a bowl topped with parmesan and basil leaves

If you try this baked feta and beet pasta sauce recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!

Baked Feta and Beet Pasta Sauce