Balsamic Roasted Beet & Walnut Pasta

The fact that my husband loves beets as much as I do still makes my heart flutter.  And when he requests beets for dinner after a somewhat stressful day at the farm I'm totally on it! I'd be lying if I said it's been an awesome week at Tumbleweed Farm. The truth is, it's been completely lousy. We lost 10 baby chicks to a GIANT rat (I'll spare you the gory details but it was awful to wake up to the scene) and a few other unpleasant events have occupied our time. Needless to say, it's been an emotional roller coaster of a week and the workload just keeps getting heavier. We decided the best way to cope with the stress of the past week was to tuck the farm in for the evening and relax with a few glasses of wine and this nourishing pasta. I'm not sure if I've ever given you all the rundown on how mealtime at the farm works but here's what typically happens. I run in from the fields around 4:30pm so I can whip up dinner, snap a few photos (it's important to me that they're captured in natural daylight) and then I keep our food warm on the stove while I head back out to help Taylor finish the evening chores. Sometimes we eat right away if we're caught up, but more often than not we eat our meal a few hours after I've prepared/photographed it. This has worked out great for the past couple of years. It's also nice to have dinner already prepared when the day is "officially" over.  By the time we actually sit down to eat it's been dark outside for a while and that's why I like capturing the photos when the lighting is perfect. With that being said, here is a picture of what the above photos looked like on our dinner table 2 + hours after those original shots. Poor lighting but to be honest, this is my favorite shot because it's real. The only thing missing is the photo of us in our "still" dirty farm clothes and messy hair. Date nights at our house are obviously very casual! Anyhow, I hope wherever this post finds you that you are able to unwind after a stressful day/week with someone you love. Pour a glass of wine, make whatever comforting food hits the spot for you and enjoy a quiet evening before the chaos starts all over again! Cheers.

Balsamic Roasted Beet & Walnut Pasta

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 4 medium sized beets, washed and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
  • fine sea salt and pepper
  • 8 ounces Rigatoni pasta (or pasta of choice)
  • 4 ounces arugula
  • 1/3 cup toasted walnuts
  • 2 ounces organic goat cheese (optional but recommended)
  • Sprinkle of organic Parmesan Cheese (optional but recommended)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 425F
  2. Toss the chopped beets with 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Place on a prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven until fork tender and lightly browned. About 20-25 minutes. Toss beets halfway through cooking.
  3. Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, remaining olive oil, dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Set aside.
  4. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain pasta and set aside.
  5. Place the walnuts in a small skillet over medium heat and toast, shaking the pan often, until they're lightly browned. About 3 minutes.
  6. Toss the warm pasta with the cooked beets, arugula, toasted walnuts, cheese and drizzle with the dressing. Toss until well combined.
  7. Divide the pasta between plates and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Notes

*Use this recipe as a guide. *Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary. *Cooking times will vary from kitchen to kitchen. *Have fun and make this your own.

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