Ok, I know beets are sooo last winter, along with other root vegetables, but I had to share this recipe with you. Besides, beets are growing now. They are winter vegetables because they can be stored for long periods of time. But you can get them fresh this time of year as well.
Just look at the fuschia pasta! I love it. My taste buds love it too. The sauce is a pesto made from roasted beets, toasted walnuts, sun dried tomatoes, and olive oil. It is so easy to make and it tastes really nice. A welcome change from traditional spaghetti and red sauce.
The first time I made this, I used homemade ricotta to top the pasta. The second time, I used store bought, and I could definitely tell a difference. The homemade ricotta was smooth and creamy. The store bought was a little gritty. If you don’t want to go to all the trouble of making your own ricotta, then I recommend using store bought creme fraiche. However, if you do want to take the time to make your own ricotta, I recommend this recipe from Smitten Kitchen.
After discovering beets a few years ago, I fell in love with them. My favorite way to eat them is roasted with a little salt and oil. You can either peel them, cut them up, and then roast them, or roast them whole and then slip the skins off when cool. Whichever you prefer, but beware of very pink hands. And if you are not used to eating a lot of beets, beware of it turning other things a different color.
And now for the recipe. Hope you enjoy it.
Beet Pasta
From Whole Living Magazine
Serves 4
1 pound red beets, trimmed and scrubbed
olive oil
salt
Place beets in baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 425 degrees for about an hour or until tender. Once cool, slip the skins off and cut into chunks.
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
2 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes
red pepper flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
Combine walnuts, sun dried tomatoes, beets and red pepper flakes in a food processor. Drizzle in oil until smooth. Season with red pepper flakes and salt to taste.
12 ounces farro spaghetti or other whole grain spaghetti
1/2 cup homemade ricotta or creme fraiche
Cook spaghetti and reserve one cup of pasta water. Combine spaghetti with beet pesto, adding in pasta water as needed until creamy. Divide onto plates and top with ricotta. Drizzle with extra olive oil and sprinkle with more red pepper flakes.
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This looks yummy! I like to use the liquid in my Mom's jars of beets to make red beet eggs. Delicious!
As a side thought, I bet Jonathan would love to plan one of those 5 course meals around foods that cause interesting bodily effects (eg: beet colored poop, asparagus pee, etc).
That thought just combined my inner pre-teen and my pseudo-foodie, and it was awesome.