Creamy, herby, and oh so fresh, this pasta dish is packed with beautiful summer flavors! A mint-infused cream sauce is tossed with spaghetti, rainbow beets and sweet peas for a lovely and satisfying meal!
We’re well into the hot summer weather here in Virginia, and that means my mint plants are OUT OF CONTROL. I love it, but I can’t help feeling just a teensy bit of pressure to use it all, letting none go to waste.
That said, I’ve been adding mint to pretty much all my favorite summer recipes, like my Cauliflower Tabbouleh or my Roasted Salmon with Avocado Salad. Adding a bit of fresh herbs totally brings every dish to a new level!
And sometimes, you get an extra delicious and beautiful meal like this.
I used the very last of the sweet peas from my garden and some absolutely gorgeous rainbow beets I got from our CSA to make this creamy mint spaghetti dish, and I pretty much licked my plate clean. Can you blame me??
Making the Recipe
The most wonderful thing about recipes like this is that they don’t take a whole lot of work. Simple, fresh ingredients really don’t need much to shine!
- First, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Peel and thinly slice beets. Parboiling the beets and peas begins the cooking process. Drop them into the boiling water for about a minute, then remove them with a slotted spoon and set them aside for later. Bring the water back to a boil and stir in the uncooked thin spaghetti. Cook until it is just under al dente, about 5 minutes, then drain.
- Add the milk, cheese, butter, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to a skillet and cook. When the sauce begins to simmer, add the beets and peas and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are cooked through
- Add thinly sliced mint leaves and the cooked pasta to the sauce, allowing the pasta to finish cooking and absorb some of the sauce, about 3 minutes.
- When you plate the dish, top with a little extra parmesan, pepper, and mint, and enjoy!
You may also like: Broccoli & Bacon Salad, Foil Wrapped Salmon with Snow Peas, or Tortellini & Sausage Soup.
Creamy Mint Pasta with Rainbow Beets and Peas
Ingredients
Pasta
- 1/2 lb thin spaghetti
- 4 rainbow beets small
- 3/4 cup green peas
Mint Cream Sauce
- 1 cup milk
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 5-8 mint leaves
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoons pepper
- 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Peel and thinly slice beets. Parboil the beets and peas by dropping them in the boiling water for about a minute, then remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside. Bring the water back to a boil and stir in the uncooked thin spaghetti. Cook until it is just under al dente, about 5 minutes, then drain.
- While the spaghetti is cooking, combine the milk, cheese, butter, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a sautee pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the sauce begins to simmer, add the beets and peas and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 more minutes.
- Thinly slice the mint and add it and the cooked pasta to the sauce, allowing the pasta to finish cooking and absorb some of the sauce, about 3 minutes. Plate on two large dishes and top with extra parmesan, pepper, and mint, and enjoy!
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