Sweet and Spicy Beetroot Pasta Sauce
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One of the things I hear most from people who want to try a plant-based diet, but are hesitant, is that they don’t think they can get enough protein from only plant sources. Or that maybe they can, but it’s a lot of work.
How much protein is enough?
People who are athletic and lead an active lifestyle especially, since their protein requirements are higher (although not likely as high as many supplement companies would have you believe). The average adult needs about 0.8 grams of protein per kilo of body weight, with endurance athletes requiring slightly more, around 1.3-1.7 grams per kilo of body weight. So a distance runner who weighs 70 kg would need (at most) about 120 grams of protein on training days. If that same person is not training for a marathon, they’d need about 56 grams of protein a day.
As a plant-based person, athlete or not, you do need to think about what you’re eating (although I would argue that everyone should put some thought into their fuel, regardless). But that doesn’t need to be difficult. Lots of plant sources contain high amounts of protein, plus have added benefits like vitamins and fiber, which is the nutritional version of “two birds, one stone”.
Sneak in that protein!
As a generally active person, I do consider how much protein I am getting, and have gotten a lot of questions recently from similarly athletic friends who want to know how I eat plant-based while training. I’ve been at it so long now that it seems like second nature to me, so I decided to slow down and plan out some recipes intentionally. The goal was simple meal prep with sneaky protein. How can I add cheap protein sources to lazy meals for busy people.
This beetroot pasta was one of my recent concoctions that is a deceiving little protein powerhouse. The protein comes from silken tofu, which also adds a natural creaminess that lends itself beautifully to pasta sauces, dips and salad dressing.
I am obsessed with beetroot. The versatility, the nutritional benefits, the COLOUR. Can you find a more gorgeous veggie? I even went as far as to get a beautiful beetroot tattoo (I mean, the colour stains your hands forever so it makes sense as a piece of forever-art). I have used beetroot in everything from hummus to chocolate cake.
This recipe takes that earthy sweetness of the wonderful beetroot, adds a bit of spice with fresh ginger and red chili, and churns out a deliciously creamy, protein packed pasta sauce with the help of some silken tofu. It comes together in under 30 minutes and is super easy to meal prep in advance for a healthy weeknight dinner, or a post-gym recovery meal.
PrintSweet and Spicy Beetroot Ginger Pasta Sauce
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
2 medium roasted beetroot (you can buy pre roasted or roast your own fresh beets)
5 cloves of roasted garlic (or more if you’re a garlic lover)
300 grams silken tofu (that’s one standard package)
1 thumbnail sized piece of fresh ginger (peeled and chopped)
1 tbsp red chili flakes (or 1-2 fresh chili, depending on your heat preference)
Olive oil for roasting
Salt to taste
Instructions
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If you have fresh beets, prepare them for roasting by washing, removing the greens and placing in a roasting pan with the garlic cloves. Drizzle everything with olive oil, cover the pan with tin foil and roast until beets are tender. This is around 25 minutes at 200C/400F for me, but your oven may vary.
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Add roasted beets, garlic and the remaining ingredients to a blender and blend until creamy. You may like to add a bit of olive oil to get your desired texture.
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Taste and adjust for salt preferences.
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Pour over cooked pasta, mix and serve.
Keywords: beetroot pasta
Tips
To save time you can buy pre roasted beets and garlic, but it is easy to start from scratch.
If you don’t have fresh ginger you can use ground ginger, just swap out for ¼-½ teaspoon.