Spaghettoni with Red Beet Pesto, Burrata, Basil, and Calabrian Chili Oil
This dish is strikingly beautiful. And delicious. And so nourishing.
This is a recipe shared from “Pasta for All Seasons” by Michela Tartaglia of Pasta Casalinga in Seattle. I tried this dish at the restaurant and became obsessed. The reason will surprise you: I don’t really like beets. I don’t swoon over beet and goat cheese salad and truly never order anything with beets. BUT I believe in eating the rainbow so strongly that I am willing to find a way to add things I don’t love into my rotation. Stars aligned when I got the most beautiful red beets from my CSA Happy Acre Farm and got to cooking. This recipe is for beet lovers and avoiders alike… and it’s so pretty to look at.
Watch a video with this recipe here.
What You Need
2 large red beets, well scrubbed
1 cup water
1 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
Salt & pepper
1 1/2 cups of grated pecorino romano, divided
1 small yukon gold potato, boiled and cooled
12 ounces spaghettoni (or noodle type pasta)
2 (2-ounce) balls burrata
1/4 cup Calabrian Chili Oil
8 fresh basil leaves
Servings: Makes 4 servings
Steps
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. In a baking pan, place the beets, water, 1/3 cup of olive oil, and salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour or until the beets can be easily pierced with a fork.
Remove the beets from the oven, uncover, and allow to cool. In a large bowl, add the beets and their cooking liquid, 1 cup of pecorino, the potato, and salt and pepper to taste. Using an immersion blender or mixer on low speed, blend until creamy but not liquid. Pour the puree into a large skillet and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente, drain, and transfer to the skiller. Over high heat, saute the pasta and beet puree for a minute, adding pasta water as necessary to bind the ingredients. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of pecorino into the skillet, stir, and remove from heat.
Plate into 4 bowls, using a large serving fork to twist the pasta so that it resembles a nest. Top with a spoonful of burrata, a drizzle of Calabrian chili oil, and a couple of fresh basil leaves. Finish with cracked black pepper.
My NotesI boiled my potato for about 15 minutes; I used a food processor to make the pesto and sliced the potato and the beets into quarters before adding. I processed for about 3 minutes to get it smooth. I added some extra basil and may have also added extra burrata 😬. Do not skip any of the toppings… its palate harmony at its finest.
Serving Suggestion
Make sure you invite guests… it’s so beautiful you’ll want to share this! At the restaurant I paired this with a glass of Prosecco and it was perfection.
