If I had to pick 5 foods which sum up my meals at
university, ‘pasta’ would definitely be near the top of the list. In all shapes
and forms and at any time of day – because that’s acceptable when you’re a
student, its easy to master the art of boiling some pasta in salty water,
before adding a jar of ready made sauce or pesto and voilà, a cheap filling meal in a matter of minutes.
However it wasn't long before
the effects of all the complex carbohydrates began to catch up on me and my
growing tummy was an indication that it was time to start eating healthier
and expanding my recipe repertoire. After purchasing a cheap spiralizer (from EBay
– find the review in the ‘Reviews’ section on my blog), I was on my way. After
producing your courgetti and blanching it in boiling water until its soft, the sky is the limit
when it comes to how to serve it, pesto, cherry tomatoes and lemon juice are
three of my favorite toppings however mixed with this beetroot purée and
garnished with sweet garden peas, refreshing mint, salty feta and crunchy pine
nuts is hands down the winner for me and some harsh critics (my ruthless
housemates!)
Ingredients:
(Serves 2 People)
- 1x Medium Beetroot (Small Apple Sized) (Diced)
- 2x Garlic Cloves
- Juice of Half a Lemon
- 2tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Plus a glug for roasting the Beetroot)
- 50grams of Feta Cheese (Crumbled)
- 50grams of Fresh or Frozen Garden Peas
- Handful of Pine Nuts
- Handful of Mint
- 2x Large Courgettes
Method:
1) Firstly set your oven to 200'C, and once its reached that temperature, put your Beetroot on a baking tray with one of the Garlic Cloves (skin on) and a good glug of Olive Oil, toss so that everything is coated and then season well with salt and pepper. Pop it in the oven for around 30 minutes until the Beetroot and Garlic is soft.
2) Meanwhile spiralize your courgettes and place the resulting courgette in a large saucepan of boiling water on the how over a medium heat for around 3 minutes until its soft. Take the pan off the heat placing to one side, leaving the cooked courgetti in the boiling water.
3) Once the Beetroot and Garlic Clove have been roasting in the oven and are softened, pop the Garlic Clove out of its skin and place in a bowl (or blender) along with the Beetroot, Lemon Juice, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, the remaining Garlic Clove and a tablespoon of water.
4) Blend with a stick blender until you've got a smooth purée and taste, seasoning with salt and pepper accordingly.
5) Boil or steam your garden peas according to the packet.
5) Drain your cooked courgetti and add into the bowl with the Beetroot Purée, tossing until all of the courgetti is coated and has turned deep pink in colour.
6) Divide and serve the courgetti in two bowls, sprinkle over the cooked peas, mint leaves, pine nuts and crumbled feta then get stuck in!
A no-carbohydrate pasta alternative - which is surprisingly filling but still a light dish perfect for summer al fresco dining, who doesn't love sitting in the sunshine with good food and a chilled glass of white wine?! The vibrant colour of the beetroot against the white feta and green peas makes this a beautiful dish, and one which is sure to impress! I hope you love it as much as I do!
Charlotte x
Post a Comment