Heart Beet Pasta

A rich, creamy, hearty pasta that is literally good for the heart! With real beets, cheese, and savory spices this makes pasta night a fun, decadent dish with amazing benefits!

Ingredients:

For the Pasta:

• 1lb thicker short cut pasta (a thin or long pasta might break easily or get too mushy with the thickness of this sauce)

• 1 cup of salty reserve pasta water (to thin sauce as necessary)

For the sauce:

• olive oil for cooking

• 1 large cooked red beet (instructions below)

  • recommended to use food prep gloves when handling beets to not stain your hands:)

• 1/2 yellow onion chopped

• 2 minced garlic cloves

• 1tsp each: fresh sage and thyme

• 1/2c broth of choice

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 2tbsp butter

• 1/2c shredded parm cheese

Optional toppings:

• freshly shredded basil

• large scoop of burrata

Meal Prep Directions: 

• Cook your beet:

  • bring a large pot of water to boiling. Chop the leaves off your beet and add your beet to the boiling water (keeping skin on - it’s easier to peel after cooking!). Boil beet until it’s soft and a fork easily pokes through. Cool completely before using food prep gloves and rub the skin off - it should fall off very easily!

  • Chop beet into large chunks and either store in airtight container for up to 3 days until ready to make your sauce or continue prepping the full sauce in the meal assembly instructions.

• Remaining ingredients are best prepped fresh for day of assembly.

Meal Assembly Directions:

• Bring a large pot of salty water (1-2tsp of salt) to boiling

• Cook your aromatics

  • Chop onion, mince garlic, finely chop sage and thyme and grab prepped beet. Everything will be blended so don’t worry about perfect chopping:)

  • Heat large skillet over medium high heat with oil

  • Add onion, garlic, sage, thyme, and prepped beet to skillet and cook until fragrant and softened, about 5 minutes.

  • Take off heat to cool slightly, meanwhile begin cooking your noodles in boiling salty water

• Make your sauce:

  • Add your slightly cooled aromatics to a blender or high powered food processor with broth and heavy cream. Blend on high until completely smooth and creamy.

  • Drain noodles, reserving some of the pasta water.

• Mix sauce with noodles:

  • Add blended sauce back into the skillet over very low heat with butter, parm cheese and 1/2cup of the salty pasta water - adding more to thin pasta sauce to desired texture. Mix everything until well combined and creamy.

  • Slowly add noodles and mix with sauce until you have your desired pasta to sauce ratio.

• Serve:

  • Plate your noodles, add optional toppings, enjoy!