Beet & Poppyseed Spaghetti

I might've mentioned this already but I started doing time-restricted eating in an attempt to lose a little weight. My sister was basically berating me and saying that my body does not reflect my time at the gym. I knew it was because I hadn't changed my diet at all; weight loss and body transformation is 75% diet and 25% exercise, at least when it comes to my body. Because of this, there are some mornings where I wake up and I'm starving. I'm the type of person that likes to watch food videos as a bit of a substitute for eating when I'm unable to. It seems somewhat torturous but I find it pretty enjoyable. One morning, I saw a video about spaghetti via the Worth It crew and I was really intrigued by the beet spaghetti, especially because I'm always on the hunt for satisfying vegetarian dishes. It's been a goal to just eat less meat in general, not necessarily for health reasons, but for the environment.

So, a couple weekends ago when sis, GM, and I stopped by the farmers market on our way to the park, I decided to pick up a couple bundles of beets and try my hand at making this vibrant beet spaghetti.

Ingredients [serves 4]:
2 pounds beets
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound spaghetti
¼ cup butter
¼ teaspoon crushed pepper flakes
1 tablespoon poppyseeds
½ cup vegetable stock
½ teaspoon salt
+ ricotta

pickled beet stalks
1 cup beet stalks (from about 1 pound of beets)
2 serrano peppers, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1½ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
5 peppercorns

Clean the beets really well to get rid of any dirt and then lop off the stalks and greens (which should be saved for making pickles and salad, respectively). Pop the beets onto a sheet pan, drizzle generously with oil, and then chuck them into a 375F oven for about one and a half hours or until they're really soft. Your goal is to roast the beets to cook them through but also evaporate out some of the moisture to concentrate the flavor and sweetness.

Allow the beets to cool slightly and then peel off the skin. It will come off pretty easily.

Put the beets into a food processor and puree until smooth.

The recipe only consists of a few ingredients. It's really simple and elegant and comes together pretty quickly after the beets have been roasted and pureed.

Start by getting a big pot of water on to boil. Meanwhile, throw a knob of butter into a skillet over medium low heat.

Let the butter melt and then sizzle lightly until it starts to get speckled with golden brown spots. That's the milk solids toasting and the result is what we call "brown butter."

Once the butter is brown, throw in the poppy seeds and crushed pepper flakes. Let them toast v. lightly and swirl the pan to make sure the butter doesn't burn. At this point, the water is probably boiling so salt it and throw in the pasta to cook to a minute shy of al dente.

Add in the pureed beets and stir to incorporate with the spiced butter. Toast the beet puree lightly so it caramelizes a bit. You'll know it's caramelizing when it leaves a little bit of a residue that sticks to the bottom of the pan. Once this happens, pour in a little stock and stir until a velvety smooth sauce forms.

Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water and then drain the noodles. Toss the noodles in the beet sauce. Add the reserved pasta water to loosen up the sauce to your desired consistency.

Plate the pasta and serve with a scoop of ricotta and sprinkle with chopped chives.

This color of this pasta is so vibrant and beautiful. But how does it taste? It tastes like beets. It's v. earthy and rich with a subtle sweetness, the poppy seeds add a bit of texture to break up the monotony of the noodles, the cold and creamy ricotta is a nice contrast to the hot and chewy pasta, and overall, I really enjoyed this dish. I think the crushed pepper flakes added a much needed heat (but that's just my preference).

Also, don't waste those beet tops! I pickled the stalks, which looked really cute. Just make a quick brine and bring to a boil (I listed the ingredients above). Let cool slightly and then pour over the stalks and let them hang out for a day or two until they've absorbed the brine.

And the greens make a delicious crunchy salad.

Here's the recipe page: