Beetroot Pasta With Roasted Sweet Potato & Hidden Veg
Bright, creamy, slightly warming, and full of slow-release goodness, this pasta salad brings gentle Indian-inspired flavours into a lunchbox-friendly recipe children will still enjoy.
Ingredients
- 250 g Beetroot pasta
- 150 g Sweet potato peeled and diced
- 80 g Cream cheese
- 50 g Carrot grated
- 50 g Beetroot grated
- 80 g Peas
- 80 g Chickpeas
- small handful Spinach fresh
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 1/4 tsp Tumeric
- Small pinch Ginger
- Small pinch Black pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- First, preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
- Toss the diced sweet potato with a little olive oil and roast for around 20 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Allow to cool slightly afterward.
- Meanwhile, cook the beetroot pasta according to the packet instructions until tender. Drain and leave to cool.
- Cook the peas for 2–3 minutes and finely grate the carrot.
- In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, olive oil, cumin, turmeric, ginger, and black pepper until smooth and creamy.
- Next, add the cooled pasta, roasted sweet potato, peas, carrot, spinach, and chickpeas or ham. Stir gently until evenly coated.
- Finally, allow everything to cool fully before packing into lunchboxes.
Notes
- Beetroot pasta loses a little colour after mixing, but it still looks bright and fun in lunchboxes.
- Roasted sweet potato adds natural sweetness and a soft texture that works beautifully with the warming spices.
- If your children prefer milder flavours, start with a smaller pinch of cumin and ginger. You can always add more next time.
- Chickpeas add protein and fibre, which help keep little tummies fuller for longer. Ham gives the salad a more familiar flavour if needed.
- Black pepper helps the body absorb turmeric more effectively, which is why these two spices work so well together.
- This pasta salad tastes even better the next day because the flavours settle and deepen overnight.
- Add pumpkin seeds or chopped cucumber just before packing if your children enjoy a little crunch.
- If the pasta feels slightly dry the next day, stir through a spoonful of cream cheese or a drizzle of olive oil before serving.
- And finally, remember that children change their minds constantly. One week pink pasta is the greatest thing they’ve ever seen. The next week it suddenly becomes suspicious.