Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Pasta with Passion Sauce


Before you think that I lost my mind and was caught by a Valentine's Day fever,  a warning: All the colors of this dish come from nature. It was made last-minute after a hungry preschooler arrived at home, asking for some mac and cheese. The only bag of pasta I had was whole wheat fusilli, and the cheese sauce had to be made from scratch, which was not a problem, as I had many types of cheese in the fridge. A bundle of beetroot was there on the countertop, waiting for some use. And then the idea came quickly: what about a pink sauce?

The result is the recipe below. I ate a whole bowl of the pasta in a few minutes, while the kid was cautious about that "pink food" but ended up eating almost everything, when it had a bit of extra cheese on the top. He also enjoyed it, although his original idea was to have traditional mac'n cheese.  I might fall in love with this new way of adding beets to our plates, and this is perhaps just a first step towards a whole new world of colorful and healthier dishes on our table.

If you want to add other beautiful pink food to your menu in Valentine's day, here are some tips:


Pasta with Beets and Cheddar Sauce

4 cups of your favorite whole wheat pasta shape, cooked al dente
1 cup milk
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, sliced or shredded
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons raw red beet (about half of a medium beet), grated

Cook pasta as directed per package, until al dente. While the pasta cooks, warm milk and gradually add the cheese and nutmeg, whisking constantly with a metal wire whisk over a low flame. Mix constantly and when it starts to reduce, add grated beets. Simmer for about 10 minutes and add to the pasta. Enjoy it!

2 comments:

  1. What a great idea! Colorful and original! And tasty! Thanks for the recipy!

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  2. Oh, I hope you can try it out sometime. And I hope it goes well! It is a good way to have a touch of novelty and health to a very comfy dish. Thanks for commenting!

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