There are certain new recipes that have the power to surprise and delight.  This one is one of those awesome recipes.  It is colorful and delicious and at the same time, it is simple and versatile.

The smooth texture of the beets offsets the nutty texture of the almonds and the gorgeous pink color offers a magical and surprising twist to this pasta dish.

In our house, we have “Shabbos pasta”.  During the week, we use ordinary pasta shapes, like ziti, elbows, spaghetti and penne.  When I prepare pasta for our Shabbos meals, I try to find more unique pasta shapes, like the whole wheat Gigli shown in this posting.

The beet pesto can be served as an accompaniment to other foods, as well. It can be served with fish, with grilled chicken or steak.  It can be served as a pareve side dish or can be served as a main dish pasta with some shredded, shaved or crumbled cheese on top.

My favorite way to serve this pasta is with a sprinkling of chopped nuts and some chopped scallions.

INGREDIENTS

1-2 pounds pasta

1 shallot and 1 onion, diced and sauteed

1/2 cup raw almonds
1 can or 2 large peeled red beets, cooked
4 Tablespoons beet juice or cooking liquid
1/4 cup oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper

baby arugula or parsley, checked and rinsed (see kosher notes)

 

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta al dente in salted water according to package directions.  Drain.

Saute onions or shallots until just starting to brown.  Reserve half of the mixture for later.

Using the s-blade on the food processor, pulse to chop almonds.  Reserve half of the almonds for later.  Add half of the sauteed shallot and beets and pulse until chopped and combined well.  Add beet juice, oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and puree until smooth.

Toss pasta with beet puree and sauteed shallots.  Garnish with reserved chopped almonds.  Garnish with baby arugula or parsley.  Serve hot or room temperature.

 

KOSHER NOTES

Kosher laws disallow the eating of any whole insects and therefore most greens require a process of soaking, rinsing and in some cases, pureeing. Kashrut authorities differ somewhat on the proper checking of leafy vegetables. This blog was not designed to be your kosher authority, so please consult your local rabbinic authority regarding using greens such as arugula and parsley

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