Beet-Dressed Pasta with Golden Raisins and Poppy Seeds
Give your pasta a summer makeover with puréed beets, golden raisins, and poppy seeds. It's great hot or cold and is a perfect weeknight dinner option.
Serves4 to 6
Generally, I use a microwave to warm up my forgotten morning coffee and for little else. But there are other uses. The beets in this recipe will purée to a significantly smoother texture if they are warm. If you have prepared a load of beets earlier in the week and want to make this sauce, simply warm them up in the microwave with a splash of water. Alternatively, if you are cooking loads of beets, it’s smart to make the purée when they are warm out of the oven. It will store in the refrigerator for a week or in the freezer for a good long time.
This pasta salad also works as a cold salad, but often needs an extra pinch of salt since the flavors will be muted when cold.
Read more: A Week of Dinners with Abra Berens
Beet-Dressed Pasta with Golden Raisins and Poppy Seeds
Give your pasta a summer makeover with puréed beets, golden raisins, and poppy seeds. It's great hot or cold and is a perfect weeknight dinner option.
Serves 4 to 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup
golden raisins
Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
- 2
steam-roasted beets (about 1 pound total)
- 1/4 cup
olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cream (optional)
- 1 pound
dry small pasta, such as bow ties, orecchiette, or penne
- 1 tablespoon
poppy seeds
Instructions
Soak the golden raisins in 1/2 cup hot water and the lemon juice for 10 minutes or until they are plump. Strain the raisins, saving the soaking liquid.
In a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, purée the beets with the olive oil, soaking liquid, and a good pinch of salt and pepper until very smooth. If you like dairy, toss in a glug of cream.
Boil the pasta in well-salted water and drain. Return the pasta to the pot.
Add the beet purée, soaked raisins, and poppy seeds, and toss to warm and coat. Transfer to a serving platter or individual bowls. Drizzle with additional olive oil before serving.
Recipe Notes
Reprinted with permission from Ruffage by Abra Berens, Chronicle Books, 2019.
