Beetroot Pasta Bake

Ingredients

Serves: 4

Preparation times: 20 mins

Cooking time: 20 mins

  • 250g vac-pac beetroot 

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 2 onions, finely chopped

  • 4 celery sticks, finely chopped

  • 4 carrots, finely chopped

  • 30g basil

  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed

  • Salt for seasoning

  • 400g pasta

  • 100g feta

  • 50g parmesan 

Optional, to serve:

  • 15g basil 

Method

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.

  2. Carefully open the vac-pac beetroot, draining the juice into a jug and set it aside. Chop the beetroot into quarters.

  3. Meanwhile, put the oil into a large frying pan on a medium heat. Add the onions, celery and carrot, and two thirds of the drained, quartered, beetroot, cooking until soft, about 10 mins.

  4. Roughly tear the basil into the pan and add the garlic, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat after 30 seconds.

  5. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the pasta, simmering for 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 200ml of pasta water.

  6. Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor blitz the onion and beetroot mixture, along with the reserved beetroot juice. Slowly add the pasta water to loosen the mixture until you have a pourable consistency. 

  7. Pour the drained pasta into a large oven proof dish. Stir the sauce through the pasta, ensuring the pasta is well coated. 

  8. Top with the remaining beetroot quarters, feta and parmesan.

  9. Bake in the oven for 20 mins, until crisp on top and the cheese has melted. Top with the fresh basil, if using.

Jade ThorneComment