May 28, 2012 | Pasta & Pizza
Sometimes I just crave a simple pasta dish with interesting flavors. Nothing fussy, no fancy sauces, something that can be made in just a few minutes that is healthy for me. If you can relate to that, then this dish is for you.
I use roasted beets quite a bit when I’m doing events. I love their deep, earthy flavor – especially when they are roasted – and I like the way they pair with tangy cheeses like goat or feta. And every time I get a bunch of beets, I carefully separate the beet greens with every intention of using them for something – only to find them rotted in my vegetable drawer weeks later.
Not this time! I quickly chopped up the greens after stripping them from the tough stems and sauteed them in just a little bit of olive oil with minced garlic. I adore garlic, so 3 cloves per serving is a-ok with me – you might prefer a bit less, or even like to use some roasted garlic instead.
The wilted greens and garlic are simply tossed with some cooked, whole wheat spaghetti (although you can use any pasta you like) and some crumbled feta cheese (goat cheese would be equally good), then dressed with some high quality extra virgin olive oil. Mmmmmm…Meatless Monday never tasted so good so fast!
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups raw beet greens, roughly chopped
- 2 ounces whole wheat spaghetti, cooked al dente and drained
- ¼ cup feta cheese crumbles
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat; add garlic and greens and cook, stirring often, until wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Combine greens with cooked pasta, adding a bit of pasta water if needed, and toss with feta cheese to heat through.
I love beet greens bolognese with pasta. My acupunturist gave me his recipe (I was an obvious captive audience) and it is so good. I can’t wait to try your simple recipe. It looks fab.
That sounds great Karen – is it on your blog?