Beetroot Pasta

This receipe is worth making just for the colour that the beetroot gives to it. Luckily it's also not just an amazing colour but also tastes nice; the roasted beetroot adds a slight sweetness which goes well with the cream.
 

Ingredients:

• 7 or 8 small beetroot or 4 large, well washed
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 50g of cashew nuts, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 400g pasta, penne work best
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 200ml double cream

 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
2. Add the beetroot to a roasting tin and add the olive oil. Mix it all around so that everything is well covered with the oil.
3. Roast in the oven for an hour.
4. Remove the beetroot from the oven and set aside to cool.
5. Put on a large pan of water for the pasta.
6. Add the cashew nuts to a large frying pan over a medium heat(without any oil). Turn every minute or so.
7. When the cashew nuts start to toast then remove them from the pan and set aside.
8. Pour the oil from the beetroot roasting tin into the frying pan and add the garlic. Fry for a couple of minutes.
9. While the garlic is frying, peel the beetroot to remove the outer skin and chop into 1cm or smaller pieces.
10. Add the chopped beetroot to the frying pan and leave to cook.
11. Put the pasta in the boiling water and cook as per the instructions.
12. When the beetroot has heated through for a couple of minutes in the frying pan, add the lemon juice and mix well.
13. Next add half the double cream and mix well. Then add the remaining cream.
14. Turn the heat on the frying pan right down and leave it to gently come to a simmer.
15. By now the pasta should be done so drain it and mix it with the beetroot mixture from the frying pan.
16. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and with the roasted cashew nuts sprinkled on the top.

 
Serves 3 to 4.