INGREDIENTS
3 medium size beets, trimmed, washed and scrubbed
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 ½ tsp salt, divided
1 ½ cups mascarpone, divided
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 large garlic clove, roughly chopped
½ cup grated parmesan, plus more to serve
½ tsp black pepper
9 oz fiorelli, orecchiette or rotini pasta
Basil, to serve
Step 1
Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss scrubbed beets with olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt until well coated. Wrap beets tightly in two layers of aluminum foil and place them on a baking sheet. Once the oven reaches temperature, roast beets for 50 minutes – 1 hour or until fork-tender. Remove beets from the foil and allow to cool slightly before rubbing the skins off with a paper towel. Slice them into quarters and set aside.
Step 2
Add cooled beets to a blender along with the remaining salt, 1 cup of mascarpone, lemon juice, zest, garlic, grated parmesan and pepper. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes until everything is smooth and well combined. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.
Step 3
Cook pasta according to the instructions on the box until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of cooking water, and return to the pot.
Step 4
Over medium heat, stir in the beet sauce and toss to coat the noodles evenly, adding a little splash of pasta water to bind everything together.
Step 5
Plate each serving of pasta with a dollop of the reserved mascarpone, olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and garnish with basil. Serve immediately.
recipe and photo credit: Food TV Canada