Balsamic Beet Pasta

16 January 2017 55

Happy Monday! Hard to believe we’re already into the middle of January. These cold winter days in Minnesota have us craving all the comfort foods and when it comes to my family that pretty much means pasta and soup. Lucky for my family I ordered some new bowls last month and they were suppose to be luster latte bowls the same size as all my other Anthropologie bowls but instead we got these giant bowls! Perfect for ice cream or cereal, oh you know those days. I thought I would return them but the family loved them and thought they were great for popcorn, soup, or smoothie bowls because you’d have extra room on top and they wouldn’t be so filled. I found out they are actually pasta bowls and the colors didn’t come in the size I had thought I was ordering from the store. Well I guess I was left with no choice but to make pasta to serve in the bowls. My family wasn’t complaining about that. I shared a photo of the Balsamic Beet Pasta I made last week and knew it had to make it to Meatless Monday this week.

So fresh, full of flavor, and my favorite BEETS! Of course I go to photograph the dish and the girls wanted me to use the darker blue bowl and let’s just say it didn’t go as well as planned with all the dark but I embraced it. We also had more fresh sourdough, because really we needed sourdough bread to go with pasta. Of course my carbivore family thought so. I seriously need my husband to stop making all the fresh bread but after this weekend and my gluten sensitive tummy still doing ok with it (but not other things I’ve had in the last month) I’m still not understanding but hey and since I still fit in my jeans he can keep making it. I only say that because he made some cinnamon raisin sourdough yesterday that just hit the spot.

Ok back to the pasta! Balsamic and roasted beets are so good together and add in goat cheese (insert frowny face) and it’s one of the best combos, but the next best cheese for non dairy is Kite Hill Ricotta (no affiliation just my personal opinion as I haven’t found anything better yet). Toss pasta (in this case gluten free) with a balsamic reduction, fresh vegan ricotta, beets, and spinach and you have a delicious colorful filling meal. It’s not only perfect for a quick weeknight meal, especially if you grab Love Beets that are already roasted you have dinner in less than 30 minutes. With them being 50% off at Target lately I don’t even bother roasting beets, especially since it isn’t market season and I can’t grab a 25lb bag and roast them in bulk. I do roast them in bulk most weeks if we have the fridge space if we’re eating a lot of them. This also makes a great pasta for entertaining or a nice dinner in on a Friday or Saturday night with a glass of wine.

So good we might have pasta nights more often, especially since my husband bought everything to make pasta at home. We’re still waiting on the pasta rollers or we would have had fresh pasta in the lasagna we made for my father in laws birthday dinner last night. We had William Sonoma rewards that needed to be used and while the girls and I were planning on getting a pizza oven that we could take anywhere to make our Neapolitan pizzas, especially with it being out family foodie theme of the year, my husband had other plans. He decided to get everything for making pasta at home. Yes he’s making sourdough bread like a mad man and now he’s going to make fresh pasta. While the girls are very excited about this I think he’s trying to test me and my jeans. I’m going to be at barre 24/7 to work off all the carbs to fit in my jeans! LOL.

Don’t forget to link up with my co host Deborah and me for out Meatless Monday link up and check out all the delicious meatless creations below!

Balsamic Beet Pasta
Makes 4-8 servings
16oz spaghetti noodles (Garofalo Corn, Quinoa, Rice, and Fiber Gluten Free Pasta)
1lb small beets, roasted (or Love Beets already roasted beets)
2 cloves of garlic
1-2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1c balsamic vinegar
2 TBSP maple syrup or honey
5-8oz baby spinach
8oz ricotta cheese (Kite Hill dairy free, vegan ricotta cheese)
fresh basil for garnish

If you haven’t already roasted your beets do so. I wrap them in foil and place on a baking sheet and baking at 425F for about 30 minutes for small beets. Let cool before removing skins, or run under cool water to cool a little faster.

Bring a large pot of water, generously salted, to a boil. In a small saucepan bring balsamic vinegar and syrup/honey to a boil. Reduce and simmer for about 10 minutes until it’s reduced to about a third of a cup and is thick enough to coat a spoon. Set aside. When water comes to a boil cook noodles per package instructions. Quarter beets and set aside, if beets are larger I cut them into 8 wedges. In a large skillet or large “chicken fryer” pan heat oil and grate in garlic to cook. Whisk balsamic reduction into the olive oil and reduce heat until pasta is done. Rinse pasta, reserving some of the starchy cooking water. Add drained pasta to the balsamic mixture tossing to coat. Add in a little starchy cooking water if needed. Add spinach and toss around as the warm pasta will wilt the spinach. Crumble in ricotta and toss to mix before adding in beets, seasoning with sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste, and serving. Garnish with fresh basil. Enjoy!

Can't beat this Balsamic Beet Pasta for #MeatlessMonday! @KiteHillCheese @lovebeets @MeatlessMonday Share on X

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