by Austin Coe Butler
The simplicity and flavor of this dish is rivaled only by its immediate visual appeal. Just be sure to wear an apron when making it! It is inspired by a pasta dish created by Avner Lavi at Cento Pasta Bar in Los Angeles. Originally, this dish is made with poppy seeds and ricotta, but over the years I’ve found I prefer to leave the poppy seeds out as I don’t have them around the house and substitute chèvre for ricotta as chèvre and beets are a natural pairing. The sweetness and earthiness of the beet purée is balanced by the acidity of the chèvre and the freshness of the chives, all rounded out with a pleasant, toasty backbone of browned butter.
Serves 2
250 g or 1/2 package of Ma’kaira Chitarra or long pasta like spaghetti
Blakesville Creamery Fresh Chèvre
1 medium red beet
Chives
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper
Roast the beets. Preheat your oven to 400º F. I use this opportunity to roast a whole bunch of beets, as they’re great to have in the kitchen. Top and tail the beets, leaving the skins on. Coat the beets in olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, then wrap each tightly in aluminum foil. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet and cook. Depending on their size, this can take 40 to 60 minutes. Check on them every 20 minutes for doneness, when a knife can go through the beets with little resistance.
Make the beet purée. Once cool to handle, reserve all the beets except one. The wrapped beets can last at least a week in the fridge. Peel the beet. The skin can be removed easily with your fingers or a paper towel. Cube it and place it in a blender. Add a generous pinch of salt, about a teaspoon, and a splash of water before blending for one minute until smooth.
Brown the butter. Brown 3 tablespoons of butter over low to medium heat for about 5 minutes. The butter will pass from a milky yellow color that foams and spits to a clear brown. The milk solids in the butter will caramelize and the butter will take on a pleasant, nutty aroma.
Finish the sauce. Add the beet purée to the brown butter and stir to combine.
Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta two minutes shy of al dente according to the package instructions. Remove the pasta and add it to the saucepan along with a ladle of the pasta cooking water. Toss to combine and finish cooking.
Garnish. Serve the pasta in a tight bird’s nest by using tongs and a soup ladle. Garnish with a spoonful of chèvre and top with a generous amount of finely sliced chives. Serve immediately.