My new kitchen toy is the Kitchenaid pasta extruder. To anoint the new attachment, the project was to make beetroot bucatini. Bucatini is a thick long pasta. Kind of like an elongated straight macaroni. It’s a fun shape. I had to be different and make a beetroot pasta dough. A beetroot bucatini is not often seen. Not sure I’ve ever read a recipe for it. Beetroot pasta dough is messy in an extruder. Clean up is so not a breeze. A one hour project in itself. So feel free to purchase your pasta and make the sauce.
The primavera sauce I conjured up is yummy. Be careful because it’s hard to know when to stop eating. I suggest you measure out a cup per person. A half-cup of pasta is a serving. Not sure anyone just eats a serving portion. It’s hard to judge with bucatini.
Pasta dough is quite a forgiving starch. I boiled up the full recipe and portioned it out to freeze. Next time I’m ready to have beetroot pasta, it just requires refreshing in boiling water for a minute. This is to thaw and enjoy with any sauce of your choice.
The best part of making your own pasta dough is that you know what goes into it. Can be quite nutritious. This dough uses two beets and two eggs. Veg and protein all in one. No beetroot powder for this pasta creator.
It’s not difficult to make the pasta dough. It’s a pain cleaning the machine. I think the final result is worth the pleasure.
What do you think?
Golden Zesty Primavera Sauce serves 2 to 4
2 cups vegetables of your choice, sliced (brussel sprouts, carrots, Jerusalem artichokes in picture) 1 medium onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons flour 2 cups skim milk 1 tablespoon coarse mustard 4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill 1 fresh Roma tomato, chopped Coarse kosher salt and pepper to taste
In a fry pan with high sides, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil, sauté onion and garlic until soft.
Add the vegetables with ¼ cup water, cover and steam until just soft.
Take the vegetables out of the fry pan.
Add the butter and olive oil, when butter melts, add the flour to make a roux.
When all the flour is coated with the fat, add the skim milk, when the milk starts to thicken and bubble, add the mustard, cheddar, dill, and tomato.
Season with coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
Quickly coat the vegetables and pasta with the sauce.
Beet Root Pasta Dough serves 4 or more
2 Beets, roasted and pureed 1 cup semolina (durum wheat flour), or more 1 cup flour, or more 2 eggs
Put the roasted beets into a food processor with metal blade and puree until smooth.
Add eggs and mix until smooth.
Add the semolina and flour.
Pulse a few times. If the dough is wet add some more semolina and flour. Pulse until just together and crumbly. Not smooth. This dough must be dry and crumbly.
Put through a pasta extruder for a large pasta shape of your choice.
Boil a big pot of water.
Boil shapes until they rise to the top. Do not over boil. Should be al dente (firm but not hard).
Serving Suggestion: Top with a poached or sunny side up egg.