Nutritious & Yummy: Beetroot pasta
So often when kids hear the word “beetroot”, they run the other way. The purple root tuber vegetable is high in nutrients and fiber, which makes it an important part of a healthy diet plan. But one often hears the complaint, “But it’s so bland!” or “It doesn’t have any taste!” from children and adults alike! So what can one do about it to include it in our list of healthy food recipes to provide a balanced diet for our families while at the same time not compromising on taste?
Whether you’re a parent planning your kid’s tiffin box or a teenager wanting to surprise your parents with a beautiful dish, Beetroot Pasta is an easy vegetarian recipe< to try out. The natural fuschia-purple shade of the pasta sets it apart from all other pasta dishes and its creamy earthy texture will enchant their taste buds! As beetroots are hard to bite into in their natural form, it is necessary to boil them before use. Beetroot leaves, which grow on the surface of the earth, are also edible and nutritious and can be boiled along with the root. The eye-catching colour of the pasta, the rich and fragrant taste of the spices along with its healthy ingredients make for a spectacular beetroot recipe that you must cook and try for yourself.
There are various nutritional benefits of eating beetroot:
1. It is a low-calorie food that is rich in nutrients
2. It can lower blood pressure & maintain it
3. It is rich in fiber thereby helping indigestion
4. It helps in increasing stamina
Now let us take a look at how to prepare one of the most delicious and easy pasta recipes using beetroot!
Ingredients:
300 grams Fusilli pasta
2 tablespoons Ginger Garlic paste
2 peeled beetroots, thinly sliced
1 diced onion
2 finely chopped tomatoes
1 sprig basil leaves 1/2 cup fresh cream
1 teaspoon Red chili powder
1 Tablespoon Chilli Vinegar Salt, to taste
Black pepper powder, to taste
For Making Fusilli Pasta:
- First, get all the ingredients prepped and ready for cooking.
- In a large pot, add water and bring it to a boil. Once the water has
boiled, add a teaspoon of salt. - Add the fusilli pasta to the boiling water and let it cook for 10-15
minutes until it is al dente (cooked but still firm). - Turn off the gas, drain the water from pasta and run it under cool water
to stop the cooking process. Drizzle some oil on top of the pasta.
For Making Creamy Beetroot Sauce:
- In a frying pan, add some oil and when it starts to sizzle add the beets along
with the onions and tomatoes. If using an oven, preheat to 180 degrees
and grease a baking sheet with oil. - Fry until the vegetables are cooked through. Check by poking them with
a fork. Once done, remove from the oven and allow it to cool. - Add the vegetables to the mixer grinder, along with the cream, a
a teaspoon of oil, and about 1/2 cup of warm water and blend to make a
smooth puree. - If you are using any other vegetables in the sauce, cook them in a pan on low heat. Allow them to cool and blend the vegetables with the sauce.
- The roasted beetroot sauce for the pasta is now ready.
In the final phase:
- To prepare the fusilli pasta in roasted beetroot heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan.
- Add a teaspoon of oil, add the roasted beetroot pasta sauce, ginger garlic paste, salt, crushed black pepper, chili vinegar, red chili powder, and the cooked pasta and toss on high heat for 5-7 minutes until the pasta is completely coated with the sauce.
- Garnish it by tearing basil leaves and adding them to the dish. Taste the salt and seasonings and adjust to suit your taste.
- Serve the dish as a dinner recipe.
