Simple beetroot pasta recipe made with just a handful of ingredients like beetroots, cottage cheese, garlic, onions, herbs and pasta. This high protein cottage cheese pasta dish can be made in less than 30 minutes from start to finish making it a high protein, healthy and makes a filling lunch or dinner.
Beetroot Pasta
This pasta dish is a high protein recipe that I developed recently. After my high protein paneer pasta, I have been looking different ways for increasing protein in my meals. And this beetroot pasta is one such dish.
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I made a batch of my homemade cottage cheese few days back. So thought, why not add it to cooked vegetables to make a high protein sauce. Beetroots are a staple in our home, I always have couple of them lying in the fridge. So made this beetroot cottage cheese pasta and it was a super win. Even my kids enjoyed it.
About Beetroot Pasta
This is an updated version of the beetroot pasta which I shared few years back. Initially I have made a beetroot sauce with cooked beets, tomatoes. But I wanted to update it to this unique recipe, which is not only tasty and insanely creamy, but super healthy and high in protein.
This Beetroot pasta is a basic simple recipe made with onions, garlic, beetroots, cottage cheese, herbs, seasonings, parmesan and lemon juice. It is a wholesome nutritious dish which is high in protein. Addition of beetroots makes it more healthy and colourful.
If you have pre cooked beetroots, this pasta can be made in just few minutes. Meanwhile check my mac and cheese. If you are into tomato sauce pasta recipes, check my tomato basil pasta and one pan cheesy tomato pasta.
One serving of this beetroot pasta has 21 grams of protein. Protein comes from cottage cheese. If you use protein pasta, the protein amount will increase.
Similar Recipes
And one more thing, If you don't have cottage cheese. Don't you worry, this recipe is so adaptable. You can use cubed paneer or tofu instead of cottage cheese. Both work great and adds protein.
And it you want to increase the protein even more, I recommend you to use protein pasta like chickpea pasta that is available in the market these days. If you use those, you have to option to increase the protein upto 40 grams per serving.
Meanwhile check my 21 gram per serving protein shake recipe and homemade gnocchi with garlic butter sauce.
Ingredients
- Pasta - I used mini penne rigate for this recipe. You can use penne, fusili or even spaghetti. For increasing protein content, you can use protein pasta that is available in the market.
- Beetroots - fresh beetroots peeled and cubed is best for this pasta sauce. You can use already pre cooked beetroots.
- Onions and garlic - both of them adds aroma in this dish. Also helps eliminate the beetroot smell.
- Cottage Cheese - I used my homemade cottage cheese. It adds creamy texture to this pasta and high protein content. Instead of cottage cheese you can use paneer or tofu.
- Seasoning and Herbs - I used red chilli powder, salt, pepper, basil and oregano as seasoning in this dish.
- Parmesan - even though this is optional, it adds so much depth of flavour to the pasta.
- Olive Oil - using olive oil adds flavour. You can use butter also.
Step by Step Pictures
Cooking Beetroots
1)Start by making the pasta sauce. Heat olive oil in a pan. Add in garlic and onions, saute for 2 minutes.
2)Add in beetroots and stir fry with onions and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes.
3)Add in salt, pepper, red chilli powder, oregano, basil and mix well.
4)Now pour 1 cup of water and mix well.
5)Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the beetroot is cooked.
6)Take it off the heat and allow it to cool completely.
Blending High protein Beetroot pasta sauce
7)Now take the cooked beetroots in a blender.
8)Add in cottage cheese, parmesan, lemon juice and blend till creamy and smooth.
9)This is your high protein beetroot sauce. You can taste this sauce and adjust salt, lemon juice.
Cooking Pasta
10)Now cook pasta in salted boiling water as per package directions.
11)Once pasta is cooked, strain and add it to the pot in which you were cooking beetroots. Pour in the prepared sauce and mix well.
12)If it is too thick, add in some of the pasta cooking liquid.
13)Serve immediately.
Expert Tips
- I used penne pasta, you can use any shaped pasta like spaghetti, fusili, rigatoni.
- If you can find pre cooked beetroots, you can use them instead of fresh.
- In this recipe, I used cottage cheese when blending. Instead of cottage cheese you can use paneer.
- Be generous with the herbs and seasonings. It adds so much flavour to the pasta.
- You can skip parmesan in this recipe, if you don't have that. But don't skip the lemon juice. It balance the taste of the too sweet beets.
Serving and Storage
You can prepare the beetroot sauce a day in advance and store in fridge upto 2 to 3 days. When serving, pour pasta sauce over cooked hot pasta and toss to coat. Prepared beetroot pasta can be stored in fridge upto a week. Serve beetroot pasta with garlic bread, toasted bread or homemade pretzels and salad.
FAQ
Q: What other vegetable can I use instead of beetroots?
You can use carrots, cauliflower in the same recipe, instead of beetroots.
Q: I don't have cottage cheese, what else can I use?
You can use cubed paneer or tofu instead of cottage cheese. Both work great and adds protein.
Q: Can I use pre cooked beets in this recipe?
Yes you can use pre cooked roasted beetroots or boiled beets in this recipe. The cooking time will be less.
Q: How much protein is in this dish?
One serving of this beetroot pasta has 21 grams of protein. Protein comes from cottage cheese. If you use protein pasta, the protein amount will increase.
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Beetroot Pasta Recipe (Cottage Cheese Pasta Recipe)
Ingredients
For Cooking Pasta
- 300 grams Uncooked Pasta
- 2 liter Water
- 1 tablespoon Salt
For Sauce
- 3 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 4 cloves Garlic peeled and chopped
- 1 medium Onion peeled and chopped
- 3 medium Beetroots peeled and chopped
- 2 teaspoon Dried Basil
- 2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 2 teaspoon Red Chilli Flakes
- 1 teaspoon Salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper powder or to taste
- 1 cup Cottage Cheese
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese
- 2 tablespoon Lemon Juice or to taste
Instructions
- Start by making the pasta sauce. Heat olive oil in a pan. Add in garlic and onions, saute for 2 minutes.
- Add in beetroots and stir fry with onions and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Add in salt, pepper, red chilli powder, oregano, basil and mix well.
- Now pour 1 cup of water and mix well. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the beetroot is cooked. Take it off the heat and allow it to cool completely.
- Now take the cooked beetroots in a blender. Add in cottage cheese, parmesan, lemon juice and blend till creamy and smooth. This is your high protein beetroot sauce. You can taste this sauce and adjust with salt and lemon juice.
- Now cook pasta in salted boiling water as per package directions. Once pasta is cooked, strain and add it to the pot in which you were cooking beetroots. Pour in the prepared sauce and mix well. If it is too thick, add in some of the pasta cooking liquid.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
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Melissa
This is worth trying ! completely new recipe for me. Pasta in beetroot!