Learn how to make bright pink beetroot pasta dough — vibrant, fun, and surprisingly easy. This dough is perfect for tagliatelle, pappardelle, farfalle (bow ties) and more.
Add a splash of pink to your pasta with this simple beetroot pasta dough. Anyone can make it at home and you don’t need a pasta machine — rolling by hand is straightforward and fast. I often make this for date nights or Valentine’s Day, though it’s lovely any time. The beetroot mainly contributes colour; the taste is subtle, so you don’t need to be a beetroot enthusiast to enjoy it.
I like making farfalle (meaning “butterflies” in Italian) with this dough. While farfalle isn’t a traditional fresh pasta shape, it’s one of the easiest to form and looks beautiful on the plate. The dough is rolled into thin sheets, cut into small rectangles with a crimped cutter, then pinched in the middle to create the bow-tie shape.
When rolling by hand, work with half the dough at a time and keep the other half wrapped to prevent drying. Press the portion into a rough rectangle and roll it out with as little extra flour as possible. Rotate and roll the sheet so the edges are evenly thinned; aim for thin but not translucent. Cut into your chosen shapes and repeat with the remaining dough.
How to make beetroot pasta dough
Start by roasting the beetroot: drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt and wrap in foil. Roast at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for about an hour, or until a knife slides in easily. Once roasted the skin peels off easily. Quarter the beetroot, let it cool, then blitz it in a bowl with a handheld blender until smooth.
To make the dough, place the flour and a pinch of salt in a large mixing bowl or on a clean work surface and make a well in the center. Add one egg and the beetroot purée. Use a fork to beat the egg and puree while gradually incorporating the flour.
When the mixture starts to come together, use your hands to knead it on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Try to use as little extra flour as possible. To test readiness, cut the dough in half — if you can see tiny air bubbles it’s ready. Reshape into a ball and cover with cling film. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes before rolling, or refrigerate until you’re ready to use it.
You might also like these pasta recipes
- Homemade Pasta Dough – How To Step By Step
- Spinach Pasta Dough (2 ingredient easy recipe)
- Farfalle pasta with pancetta, chili and garlic
- Penne pasta with ricotta, pancetta and tomato sauce
- Creamy butternut squash pasta
If you try this recipe or any other from the blog, please leave a comment to tell me how it went — I love hearing from readers. Follow the blog on social channels to see more recipes and updates.
Step By Step Photos Above
Most recipes include step-by-step photos and tips to help you get perfect results.
Beetroot Pasta Dough
By Emily
Ingredients
- 7 oz (200g) beetroot
- 2 1/4 cups (350g) 00 flour
- 1 egg
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp olive oil
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Drizzle the beetroot with olive oil, sprinkle a little salt, wrap in foil and roast on a tray for about 1 hour or until tender. Remove the skin, quarter the beetroot and leave to cool. Blitz to a smooth purée with a handheld blender.
-
Add the flour and salt to a large bowl or a clean work surface. Make a well in the centre and add the egg and beetroot purée. Use a fork to beat them together while gradually incorporating the flour.
-
When the mixture starts to come together, knead by hand on a work surface for about 10 minutes, using as little extra flour as possible.
-
Cut the dough in half to check for tiny air bubbles — if present the dough is ready. Reshape into a ball, cover with cling film and rest for at least 30 minutes before rolling, or refrigerate until needed.
Notes
Serves 4–6
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I use extra virgin olive oil in recipes unless otherwise stated.
- All vegetables are medium-sized unless noted.
- Recipes are tested using a fan (convection) oven.
- Nutrition is calculated automatically and should be used as an approximation.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate.
Did you try this recipe?
Leave a comment below!