Heart Shaped Creamy Beet Pasta for Two
This creamy beet pasta for two is the perfect Valentine’s Day dish, especially if you use heart shaped pasta! The sauce is made with vibrant beets, sweet ricotta cheese, and the perfect blend of sweet and savory spices. Top it with some toasted walnuts and delicious burrata for extra flavor!
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients
- 2½ - 3 cups heart shaped pasta
- 2 small beets or one medium-sized beet, boiled and peeled
- ¼ cup ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 gloves garlic chopped
- ¼ cup walnuts chopped
- ⅛ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup feta cheese
- 1-2 teaspoon ground basil leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup water from boiled beets or pasta
- 1 ball burrata room temp
Instructions
To boil the beets:
- If your beets have greens, cut them off about 1 inch above the top of the beet. Boil a pot of water and boil the beets whole for about 25 minutes or until you can pierce them easily with a fork. Let the beets cool slightly before peeling.
- Once cooled, cut the greens entirely off of the beets. Then, take a paper towel to cup the beets in your hands and use your fingers to gently slide the skins off.
- Cut the beets into smaller pieces to make blending easier.
To make the sauce:
- Boil the pasta al dente according to package directions on the stovetop - mine was ready in 7 minutes! If you didn't save any water from boiling the beets, save about ¼ cup of the pasta water and set aside.
- While the pasta boils, add the prepared beets, ricotta, milk, garlic, and walnuts to your food processor or blender and blend until smooth. You can add in a bit of extra milk if needed.
- Add in the cheeses and seasonings, blending until smooth. If the sauce still needs a bit of thinning, you can add the ¼ cup in small amounts until it reaches your desired consistency. The sauce should be easily pourable out of the blender.
- Drain your pasta, add it back to your saucepan, and pour the sauce directly into the pasta. Stir gently until the sauce fully covers the pasta.
- Transfer the pasta to a serving dish of your choice. Place the burrata sparingly on top of the pasta; you can either cut open the burrata and spoon out the creamy insides, or rip the ball itself and place each handful directly onto the pasta.
- Top with a bit more pepper and another sprinkle of walnuts, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Utilize mise en place! Make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready before you begin making this recipe - it will help save you time and keep you organized.
- Peeling Beets 101: Boil your beets with the skin on until they are fork-tender, then let them cool slightly before simply removing the skins with your hands. Use a paper towel to avoid stained fingers!