How to color pasta with juice is something I have been learning about recently, and I would love to share this easy secret with you. So yes, from now on you won't have to pay extra for stored-bought colored pasta... or even spend time making your own pasta from scratch with special colorings.
Simply obtain any regular dry pasta you prefer from the supermarket and color it yourself using vegetable juice. This is an ingenious technique similar to that of boiling pasta in wine. You can use beets, red cabbage, spinach or any other leaf vegetable, bell peppers, etc. The most important thing is to use sufficiently concentrated vegetable juice.
Coloring pasta with juice is a technique that not only infuses subtle flavors but also makes the dish more beautiful and fun. Ready to get started?
Well, without further ado, here is how to color pasta with juice...
How to color pasta
- First, make the beet juice. Blend beet chunks and 1½ quarts of water in a blender until smooth. Strain juice and discard beet pulp. Reserve the beet liquid/juice.
- In a medium to large pot, bring the remaining 3 quarts of water and 1 Tablespoon of salt to a boil. Add pasta and cook for about 2-3 minutes or until bendable. At the same time pasta is cooking, bring 4 cups (or 1 quart) of the reserved beet juice, a sprinkle of salt, and vinegar to a boil over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan.
- Using tongs or a pasta strainer, lift out partially cooked pasta from the pot and place in the sauté pan with the boiling juice. Cook pasta until al dente, stirring frequently, over medium-high heat. You may need to add another cup or two (or ¼ to ½ quart) of the remaining beet juice to finish cooking the pasta. Once pasta is cooked, strain.
- You can sauté strained pasta with oil and/or butter, garlic, herbs, cheese, and pretty much anything else that you want.
Variations
You can use red cabbage, spinach or any other leaf vegetable, bell pepper, carrots (although color won't be vibrant. Definitely, not a fave ingredient to color pasta), etc to color pasta. The most important thing is to use a concentrated vegetable juice to achieve a vibrant color.
Storage
Store colored pasta leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze pasta al dente (only) for up to 30 days.
How to Color Pasta with Juice
Equipment
- blender
- pan
- strainer
Ingredients
- 5 medium beets washed, peeled, and cut into chunks
- 4½ quarts water divided
- 1 tablespoons salt plus more to sprinkle
- ½ pound store-bought dry pasta of your choice
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar to intensify and freshen the color
Instructions
- First, make the beet juice. Blend beet chunks and 1½ quarts of water in a blender until smooth. Strain juice and discard beet pulp. Reserve the beet liquid/juice.
- In a medium to large pot, bring the remaining 3 quarts of water and 1 Tablespoon of salt to a boil. Add pasta and cook for about 2-3 minutes or until bendable. At the same time pasta is cooking, bring 4 cups (or 1 quart) of the reserved beet juice, a sprinkle of salt, and vinegar to a boil over medium high heat in a large sauté pan.
- Using tongs or a pasta strainer, lift out partially cooked pasta from the pot and place in the sauté pan with the boiling juice. Cook pasta until al dente, stirring frequently, over medium-high heat. You may need to add another cup or two (or ¼ to ½ quart) of the remaining beet juice to finish cooking the pasta. Once pasta is cooked, strain.
- You can sauté colored, strained pasta with oil and/or butter, garlic, herbs, cheese, and pretty much anything else that you want.
Recipe Notes
- OTHER JUICES: You can use red cabbage, spinach or any other leaf vegetable, bell pepper, carrots (although color won't be vibrant. Definitely, not a fave ingredient to color pasta), etc to color pasta. The most important thing is to use a concentrated vegetable juice to achieve a vibrant color.
- STORAGE: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freeze pasta al dente for up to one month!
Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
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Denise, this is truly a fantastic tecnique that I never thought of before! Absolutely creative!
Excuse me, I mean technique.
This is a really nice tip, thanks for sharing this
I love love working with beets and such a nice trick to enhance the pasta Denise. I truly believe in natural coloring and this is gorgeous my dear.
xx
What a wonderful idea! Thank you Denise! The best part is that this way you can also add flavors to the pasta! Can't wait to try this:)
xoxoxo