Happy Friday! With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I’ve really been busy in the kitchen baking and cooking all things PINK. You know how I feel about all things blush so this was right up my alley to create.

If you’re looking for something super cute to make for your sweetie…THIS. IS. YOUR. DISH.

And, you can’t go wrong with the fact that you’re serving something healthy, vegan, dairy-free, and oh-so-delish. What about those beets?! Did you know that they contain antioxidants, phytochemicals, aid in supporting liver health and lower blood pressure? These messy to prepare root vegetables are simply AHmazing.

To kick off all the Valentine’s Day content coming up on the blog, I’ve got this amazing pasta recipe for you today! Inspired by one of my latest recipes for pink hummus, I decided to toss in some colour by adding beets to a simple cashew cream sauce. The thing about this sauce is that it’s super versatile and you can top just about any dish with it. The light pink/blush colour comes from a combination of a few ingredients that are loaded with yummy flavours.

What’s even better? It’s so quick to prepare for your sweetheart(s). You can use any kind of pasta here. I just happened to get really lucky when I found this “rose shaped pasta” at HomeSense Canada.

I mean, how stunning are these!! And yes, I needed to photograph the heck out of them because I seriously couldn’t control myself.

Now, let me just say. It’s my job to be the CTT (CHIEF TASTE TESTER) when I conjure up a recipe. While on the set, I kept tasting this. Then I tasted it again. And again. And again. It was a miracle there was anything left for dinner. It was that good.

The concept behind all this gorgeousness is scientific. Sauce + Beets = Pink Dreaminess. Beets are seriously my favourite thing to add to salads, serve as a side dish or blend them into recipes to get a vibrant colour kick. Even though some of the pasta I used today was pink already, the remainder turned pink once they were coated.

Even if you’re not vegan, you’re going to LOVE this plant-based, super pretty and naturally flavoured and coloured pasta dish. Sometimes, you just have to turn ordinary cooking into something a little EXTRA-ordinary. Just looking at this pasta dish just makes me smile.

A pretty-in-pink pasta – just the inspo you need for Valentine’s Day or ANY day.

VALENTINE VEGAN PINK PASTA

INGREDIENTS

• ¾ cup raw cashews, soaked overnight in water, drained and rinsed

• ¾ cup water

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• Juice from half a lemon

• 3 - 4 fresh small beets, roasted (don't feel like roasting? Crack open a jar of pickled beets instead)

• sea salt, to taste

• 2 teaspoons sun-dried tomato pesto

• ⅓ cup white wine

• ¼ cup low sodium organic vegetable broth

• 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk(any nut milk will do)

• 400g of your favourite pasta (this is what I used)

• ⅓ cup pasta water, (the starchy stuff you get when the pasta is almost cooked)

• ¼ cup vegan parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make sure you soak those cashews overnight, or for at least 10 minutes with boiling water.

2. If you're roasting the beets. Preheat oven to 425. Wrap cubed beets in tin foil, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 50-60 minutes or until fork tender. If you want to skip this and do something easy, just crack open a jar of pickled beets.

3. In a blender or small food processor, combine drained and rinsed cashews, water, a small amount of roasted beet, garlic, lemon juice, pesto and sea salt.

4. NOTE: You want to slowly add more beets until you reach the colour you want. The flavour infusion will be stronger if you add more beets. The colour will also be darker if you add a lot!

5. Blend on high for 2 minutes or until smooth.

6. Boil pasta, set aside ⅓ cup of pasta water, drain and set aside.

7. Bring a large skillet to medium heat, add the pink sauce and bring to a simmer. Add in white wine, starchy pasta water and vegetable broth, and simmer on medium low until nice and bubbly.

8. Add in pasta and stir until pasta is fully coated. Stir in ¼ cup of vegan parmesan cheese. Serve sprinkled with additional parmesan cheese! Happy Valentine's Day!