Pasta Shells with Roasted Beetroot, Goats Cheese & Fennel
July 16, 2012 in Lazy Weekend Food, Pasta and Risotto, Speedy Suppers, Vegetarian
This dish is just beautifully simple and the earthiness of the beetroot lends a whole new dimension to the end result.
Also, with it being meat-free Monday and all, that means that I can once again point a surreptitious finger in the general direction of my soap box, and my MFMonday ramblings… 
Serves 2 | Preparation time 10 minutes | Cooking time 10 minutes
[Plus 20 mins unattended for beetroot to roast]
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
6 beetroot heads, peeled (use rubber gloves) and roughly chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Pasta for 2 people, I used shells (about 2 cups)
1 log goats cheese, roughly crumbled
Handful chopped fresh fennel (or parsley/basil/baby spinach) (I only had spinach)
2 Tbsp toasted pine nuts
WHAT TO DO
1. Pre-heat oven to 180C. Peel and chop beetroot and drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Place in an oven-proof dish and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until cooked through.
2. When the beetroot is almost ready, cook the pasta according to packet instructions; drain, drizzle with a little olive oil and then toss gently together with the beetroot and remaining ingredients. Add an extra splash of balsamic vinegar before serving if you like.
* Alternatively, use pre-cooked beetroot but NOT the kind stored in vinegar, and then roast for half the allocated time mentioned above.
* Find more recipes on my blog afoodieliveshere
* Read more about my cook book, ‘bitten.’ HERE.
