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Pink pasta
Team Jilly created this pasta for Valentine’s Day one year, and it was a huge hit! The roasted beets give this showy pasta such a gorgeous pink colour and a rich flavour. The blended cashews add a creamy texture to the dish while the lemon juice brightens the dish to balance it out. You can use whatever pasta shape you wish. This recipe is a good one to pull out when you are looking for something different to serve your guests. Serve it with a glass of rosé . . . of course!
SERVES
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (175 milliliters) raw cashews (see tip)
- 1 small red beet, peeled and cut into 2.5 centimeter cubes
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon (1 milliliter) salt
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3/4 cup (175 milliliters) water
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup (75 milliliters) dry white wine or rosé wine (we use rosé)
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) vegetable stock
- 250 grams fettuccine
- Vegan parmesan, for serving
Directions
- Soak the cashews in water for at least four hours or overnight (up to 12 hours) in the fridge. Drain and rinse before using (see Tip).
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Place the beet cubes on a small piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Close up the foil and roast for 50 to 60 minutes, until fork-tender.
- In a high-speed blender, combine the cashews, garlic, water, lemon juice, and salt to taste. Add one piece of beet and blend on high speed. Add more beet pieces, one at a time, to reach the level of pink colour or beet flavour you desire (we only added one or two pieces), blending on high speed until smooth, about two minutes.
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, 9 to 13 minutes. Reserve 2/3 cup (150 milliliters) or more of the pasta water and drain the pasta.
- Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the cashew beet sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the white wine, 1/3 cup (75 milliliters) of the reserved pasta water, and vegetable stock, and simmer until warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Add the pasta to the cashew beet sauce and toss with tongs until fully coated. Add a bit more of the reserved pasta water if the sauce is too thick.
- Divide the pasta among pasta dishes, top with Vegan Parmesan, and serve immediately.
Tip:
- The overnight soak works best, but if you don’t have time to soak the cashews for several hours (or forgot), you can use the quick method: soak them in boiling water for 30 minutes, then drain and rinse.
Excerpted from Fraiche Food, Full Hearts: A Collection of Recipes for Every Day and Casual Celebrations by Jillian Harris and Tori Wesszer. Copyright © 2019 by Jillian Harris and Tori Wesszer. Photography copyright © 2019 by Janis Nicolay. Published by Penguin Canada, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
