Spaghetti with Beets, Walnuts, and Goat Cheese
By Yankee Magazine|Aug 23 2010|
Spaghetti with Beets, Walnuts, and Goat Cheese
Credit: Robbins, HeathAdapted from Sara’s Secrets for Weeknight Meals (Broadway Books, 2005), by Sara Moulton
Yield
6 servings
Total Time
15 minutes
Ingredients
1 pound spaghetti (or your favorite pasta shape)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, sliced (about 2 cups)
2 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
2 pounds beets, peeled and grated
10 ounces soft goat cheese (about 1-1/3 cups), crumbled
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Transfer spaghetti to a large bowl.
In a medium-size saute pan over medium heat, add oil and cook onion and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes. Add beets and cook another 8 minutes, until softened. Add reserved cooking liquid and goat cheese; cook, stirring, until cheese softens into a sauce. Add lemon juice; then add salt and pepper to taste.
Add sauce to spaghetti and toss well. Divide among 6 bowls and top each serving with toasted walnuts.
This dish has little to recommend it. The flavor is flat and the texture somewhat grainy. The ruby red color is intriguing but may be a real turnoff to non-adventurous types.
I never make a recipe exactly as it’s given, so I chopped up the beet tops also and added them in at the end. I used a thicker pasta (rotini or penne), and have also used rice.
I left the walnuts out and serve this with chopped grilled lamb. Love it. Don’t be shy on the goat cheese . I save some of the grated raw beets for salads and sandwiches.