I have always thought of pasta as beautiful, but a big part of that is the fact that I know how it tastes. In my humble opinion, there is nothing more wonderful than a big bowl of creamy pasta. Just looking at a bowl of carbonara or gnocchi makes me happy, but on its own, pasta is usually not something that you would describe as “gorgeous”… but, this is not your average pasta…
This pasta is made with beets and they have generously donated their stunning bright pinkish purple color to our fresh noodles. The flavor is subtle enough that even a non-beet appreciator will enjoy this pasta and the color makes this a special treat for a birthday, anniversary, Sweetest Day or Valentines Day.
Let’s get this beautiful pasta started…
Making fresh pasta is really a simple process and you can cut it into so many different shapes! Traditionally, pasta dough is brought together on a flat surface, but this can test your “whisking on a flat surface” skills, so after having several people ask me if you can make pasta dough in a bowl, I decided to make today’s pasta this way.
Start by gathering 4 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, 3 egg yolks, 2 whole eggs, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 cup of pureed beets.
To prepare your beets, trim off the greens and place them onto a parchment lined baking sheet. To get 1 cup of pureed beets, you will need 3 small or 2 medium sized beets. Bake them in a 400 degree oven for 45-60 minutes or until a knife easily pierces into the beets.
Once they are done, let them cool for about 15 minutes and then peel them. I suggest wearing a pair of gloves (beets are notorious for staining everything they touch a bright purple color) and peeling them while they are still very warm. The skin should slide off pretty easily.
Once they are peeled, cut them in half or quarters and puree them in a food processor or blender until they are as small and smooth as possible.
Now that the beets are ready to go, let’s start the pasta dough…
Place 3 cups of all purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon of salt into a large bowl and create a well in the center of the flour. This method is similar to the traditional way o making pasta, but done inside a bowl to help keep everything under control. Once you become confident using the bowl method, take a look at the traditional method by visiting this pasta making recipe.
Pour 3 egg yolks and 2 whole eggs into the well in the flour and gently begin whisking them. This is where things can get a little out of hand on a flat board, but as long as you whisk inside the well and do not break down the flour barrier surrounding the egg, you will remain in charge of the situation.
Once the eggs are whisked, begin to drag in a little bit of flour from the edges and incorporate them into the eggs. Once the eggs are just a little thicker than they started, add 1 cup of beet puree. Whisk to combine the beet puree and the eggs and continue dragging in additional flour until a beautiful bright pink dough begins to form.
Transfer the pasta dough onto a floured surface and begin kneading. Add more flour to whatever is sticking. If the dough is sticking to your board, flip it over and flour the board. If the dough is sticking to your hands, dust the top and get back in there.
It will take about 5-6 minutes of kneading to get the dough ready. It should no longer be sticking to anything and when you poke it, it should spring back. It should feel smooth and elastic during kneading.
At this point, wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest for an hour at room temperature. Resting fresh pasta is important. This gives the flour time to absorb the liquids added and allows the gluten to relax and become pliable. If your dough retracts while you are rolling it out, cover it lightly with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for another 10 minutes. It is normal for the dough to retract a small amount at the very beginning of the rolling process, but this should be short lived and your dough should relax into its new shape and thickness soon after your start rolling it out.
For tips on cutting your pasta, check out my classic fresh pasta recipe!
I cut this beautiful beet pasta into spaghetti (far left in photo above), pappardelle (far right in photo above) and fettuccini (center in photo above), but you can cut it into any shape you want!
Fresh pasta only requires about 3 minutes of boiling in salty water and then you can transfer it into your favorite pasta sauce and enjoy! The flavor of this beet pasta is not where near as bold as the color, so it pairs well with most sauces. I recommend a little brown butter and garlic or a light lemon cream sauce, but be creative and have fun with it!
Enjoy!
Beet Pasta
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 whole eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup beet, pureed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
- Trim the greens off of 2 medium beets and place them onto a parchment lined baking sheet
- Bake the beets at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until the beets are easily pierced with a knife
- Allow the beets to cool for 15 minutes
- Carefully peel the beets and place them into a food processor
- Puree the beets until they are as small and smooth as possible and then set them aside
- Place 3 cups of all purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon of salt into a large bowl and form a well in the middle of the flour
- Add 3 egg yolks and 2 whole eggs into the well and whisk them carefully until smooth
- Begin to drag a little bit of flour into the eggs and whisk to incorporate
- Once the eggs have thickened a bit, add 1 cup of beet puree and whisk to combine it with the egg mixture
- Continue dragging in flour until a dough begins to form
- Transfer the dough onto a floured surface
- Knead, adding flour when necessary, until the dough is smooth and elastic and no longer sticky
- Wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 60 minutes
- Unwrap the dough and place it onto a freshly floured surface
- Using a sharp knife or pastry cutter, divide the dough into 4 equal portions
- Work with 1 portion at a time, keeping the others covered with plastic
- Roll the dough, flipping occasionally, until it is very thin and uniform
- Cut into desired pasta shapes and lightly dust with flour
- Boil for approximately 3 minutes or until tender
- Transfer into a warmed sauce of your choice and serve immediately
