The Pink Pasta or Barbie Pasta is a delicious and colorful first course that is made with just 5 ingredients! You only need some pre-cooked beets, some ricotta or other cheese, and a few other ingredients to create a fluorescent sauce that is truly beautiful to look at! Not only beautiful but also tasty and especially very practical because the sauce is prepared in moments while the pasta cooks, it will take just over 10 minutes to bring to the table a dish that everyone will love!
The preparation is really simple: put the beets, ricotta, juice and zest of half a lemon, oil, salt, and pepper into the blender. Blend in seconds and the sauce is ready. Meanwhile, cook the pasta al dente and immediately toss it with our pink sauce.
This first course is ideal for quick lunches and dinners when you want something tasty and, at the same time, fun and colorful but don’t have much time or desire to cook. Plus, this pink pasta is so creamy and colorful that it impresses everyone at first glance, and for those who love the distinctive taste of beets, it’s a dish that must be tried. So gather all the ingredients, which are just 5, and in just over 10 minutes, you’ll serve a pink pasta that everyone, young and old, will enjoy.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients to prepare Pink Pasta
- 12 oz fusilli
- 2 red beets, cooked, boiled
- 1 cup ricotta
- Half lemon (zest and juice)
- 3 1/2 tablespoons milk (or water)
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- pepper
Tools to prepare Pink Pasta
- 1 Blender
- 1 Stovetop
- 1 Pot
- 1 Colander
Steps to prepare Pink Pasta
Prepare the pink pasta by placing the beets cut into cubes, ricotta, juice and zest of half a lemon, a splash of milk or water, salt and pepper in the blender.
Blend for a few seconds until you get a pink sauce. Add a drizzle of olive oil.
While preparing the beet and ricotta sauce, bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Toss the pasta with the sauce, adding a couple of tablespoons of pasta cooking water to soften it.
Serve the pink pasta hot.
Simo and Cicci recommend
You can store the pink pasta in the fridge in an airtight container for a couple of days, and then enjoy it cold. The pink sauce can be kept in the fridge, always in an airtight container, for up to four days.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What type of pasta can I use besides fusilli?
You can use any type of pasta you prefer, whether short like rigatoni, gnocchetti, paccheri, or long like spaghetti, linguine.
Can I replace ricotta with another cheese?
Yes, you can use spreadable cheese like Philadelphia or fresh crescenza. You can also use lactose-free versions.
What if I want to make the sauce vegan?
For a vegan version of the pink pasta or Barbie Pasta, we recommend replacing the ricotta with cashews. Let them soak in hot water for at least an hour, then drain, rinse well, and add them to the blender with the other ingredients. You can use nutritional yeast to give it a cheesy flavor and add flavor.
I don’t like lemon juice and zest, can I omit them?
Yes, if you don’t like them, you can exclude them from the ingredient list. Alternatively, you can use spices or flavors you prefer, such as garlic, paprika, basil, parsley, etc.
