Beets are a bit like cilantro, and by that I mean totally polarizing. But if you love them, you love them—its sweet and earthy umami magic is unrivaled. And because the wonders of plant-based cooking never cease, an unexpected way to prepare beets may just allow you to incorporate them into your diet more often. In the latest episode of Cook With Us, wellness and compassion activist Haile Thomas, author of the Living Lively, shares a recipe for creamy beet pasta that’ll transform your next noodle night.

“This is a really great way to get in your beets, which are extremely nutritious, nourishing, and heart healthy,” says Thomas, whose interest in plant-based cooking grew from watching dietary changes cure her father’s type 2 diabetes. 

This pasta itself isn’t made from beets; for the noodle base, Thomas instead relies on good-old spaghetti. She opts for a gluten-free version, but you can grab whatever suits you best, whether it’s traditional, chickpea-, lentil-, brown rice-, or other-based. The beets are then blended into a sauce with lots of antioxidant garlic and protein-packed almonds, which is designed to smother that spaghetti good.

Thomas doesn’t stop there, however. To pack the pasta with an even more nutrient-dense punch, she tops it with a garlicky greens mixture comprised of mushrooms, beet greens, herbs, and arugula. “[Beet] greens are so delicious but also incredibly high in calcium and great for brain health and so, overall, you’re getting in a really nice boost,” says Thomas.

The result is a “pink explosion” pasta topped with flavorful veggies that’s a little fanciful and a lot filling. “Such a fun pasta to make—I just love the vibrancy of it,” she says. “And it’s a really quick way to switch up your weeknight or weekend dinner.” Press play to make yourself, friends, or loved ones a meal that can’t be… beet!