Super Simple Garden Recipes: Tortellini w/ Beet Sauce & Microgreens
Abra Berens 2019 book, Ruffage helped liven up this weekend’s meal plan with a beautiful sauce that utilized beets in a way I’d never tried before. I attempted to pass off the vibrant red sauce as a Valentine’s dish/gift. Unfortunately, my husband wasn’t up for a bowl of this on its own, but he did give it a taste. If you are up for a food adventure or are responsible for feeding a young human who enjoys purees, this may be worth a try!
Ingredients:
2 beets
1/4 cup really nice tasting extra virgin olive oil
1 lb tortellini (or another small pasta like bow ties, orecchiette, or penne)
Salt & pepper, to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup golden raisins (optional)
1 tablespoon poppy seeds (optional)
Handful of microgreens
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and place 2 whole beets (or cut in half if they are really big), in an oven safe dish. Add a drizzle of olive oil and some salt and pepper before adding 1/4 cup water to the dish. Tightly cover with tinfoil and steam-roast in the oven for about an hour, or until tender.
2. If using, soak the golden raisins in 1/2 cup hot water with a squeeze of lemon for 10 minutes or until the raisins are nice and plump. Pour the raisin water into your food processor and set the hydrated raisins aside.
3. Add steam-roasted beets, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper and puree until the mixture is very smooth. You could also add a little bit of cream if you’d like here. Some garlic powder could add a little savory to the sweetness of the sauce, too.
4. Boil the pasta, drain, and toss with as much of the beet puree as you’d like, raisins and poppy seeds. Transfer to individual bowls and top with microgreens!
If you have extra beet puree, Berens suggests some variations of this recipe in risotto, couscous and hummus form. Try freezing any leftover puree for these recipes in the future if this is enough beet enjoyment to satisfy you for awhile.
