“The beet is the murderer returned to the scene of the crime. The beet is what happens when the cherry finishes with the carrot. The beet is the ancient ancestor of the autumn moon, bearded, buried, all but fossilized; the dark green sails of the grounded moon-boat stitched with veins of primordial plasma; the kite string that once connected the moon to the Earth now a muddy whisker drilling desperately for rubies.
The beet was Rasputin's favorite vegetable. You could see it in his eyes.”
- Tom Robbins, Jitterbug Perfume
As the weather begins to chill and the daylight begins to dim, I always feel nostalgia for my “firsts” in life. My first time in college, shortly followed by my first dropping out of college. My first boyfriend, my first drive, my first audition, my first time starting a vegetarian diet, which of course led me to my first attempts in the kitchen. If I’m being completely honest, I can’t remember how this dish came into my life, I just know it was one of the first dishes I ever made for myself and my first time ever eating beets. I can’t get enough of them now, sometimes I just slice and roast a beet to eat on its own. I love them. I might even go as far to say they are my favorite vegetable. I mean, look at them, they’re gorgeous! You cut one open and there are rings reminiscent of great trees, rich tyrian purple and reds that would undoubtedly enrage Nero, but perhaps seduce anyone else who had the pleasure of witnessing them. The earth’s edible gems, a digestion tracker, and show stopper: The Beet.
Regardless of whether or not you enjoy this earthy root vegetable as much as I do, you’ll enjoy this recipe. It’s a delicious combination of salty, bitter, sweet and spice. It’s comforting and can be very impressive for guests (especially if you actually separate the pasta and beets for the colors, but if you’re feeling more low key don’t sweat it, it still tastes great!). Plus, you probably have the majority of these ingredients in your refrigerator and pantry already!
So, without further ado, let's indulge in the vegetable of Tom Robbins’ kings and immortals.
Ingredients:
1 C Farfalle
1. C Ziti
1 Purple Beet
1 Golden Beet
¼ C Honey
½ TBSP Cayenne
½ TBSP Crushed Red Pepper
½ C CRUMBLED GOAT CHEESE
Basil for garnish
1 C Pine Nuts (halved)
1 TBSP Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1. Toss your cup of pine nuts in your olive oil and evenly place on a lined baking sheet before sprinkling with salt. Place in the oven at 350°F for 6-8 minutes. Remove and set aside. (You won’t be using the oven anymore so go ahead and turn it off).
2. Peel and dice into cubes both beets and place in separate pots of cold water over medium high heat.
3. Bring water with beets to a rapid boil and add in your pastas. It does not matter which pasta you put with which beet pot, just know that whatever you put with the purple beets will be dyed.
4. Add a strong pinch of salt to both pots and bring back to a boil, cool until pastas are done (9-11 minutes).
5. While you’re waiting for the pasta, combine honey and spices in a small bowl and prepare basil. I personally prefer to chiffonade my basil, it’s easy, don’t worry! Just stack your basil leaves flat, largest to smallest. Roll tightly the basil on the horizontal side and begin cutting the roll into slices from tip to stem and you’re done!
6. Drain pasta and beets and combine in a large bowl, add spicy honey, goat cheese, nuts, fresh ground pepper and mix. Serve pasta and garnish with some basil. Et voila!
