CSA Box #5: Gluten-Free Pasta with Roasted Beets, Beet Greens and Pine Nuts

Gluten-Free Pasta with Roasted Beets, Beet Greens and Pine Nuts

This week's CSA Box #5 featured Bunched Beets with Greens, Broccoli Raab, Cucumbers, Lacinato Kale, White Salad Turnips (which look like white radishes), Purplette Onions, Romaine Lettuce, Broccoli, Baby Arugula, Summer Squash and Zucchini.

I was out of town this past week at my son's baseball tournament in Florida. We had a blast between watching all the ball games and riding the roller coasters at the amusement parks. Our team won Bronze - congratulations CT Fury!! 

Since we were away, I missed the CSA Box pick-up day, so by the time I retrieved my CSA Box, a few of the leaves on the Beet Greens and Broccoli Raab had turned a bit yellow and wilted. The broccoli looked a bit yellow too, but it was still firm. Overall, the vegetables were still very fresh and intact.

Cucumbers, Broccoli, White Salad Turnips, Beets, Purplette Onions, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Broccoli Rabe, Baby Arugula, Lacinato Kale and Romaine Lettuce were in my CSA Box this week.

According to the weekly CSA newsletter, "the biggest chunk of the farm is planted, and while trying to keep that weeded and watered, we have been trying to get the fall crops of cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and beets in the ground. The weather has been for the most part quite pleasant, and crops continue to grow nicely, but about 10 days behind last year's pace."

After a week away without farm fresh vegetables, I was anxious to dig right into the CSA Box (my kids actually acknowledged they were tired of the amusement park food, and needed to eat some fruits and vegetables after they got home, which I was more than happy to oblige!). I washed and cleaned all the vegetables, and stored them in my refrigerator. That way, I could quickly throw together a dish using these gorgeous fresh vegetables over the next several days.

So what did I make with all the fresh vegetables from my CSA Box this week? I made an Arugula, Peach and Nasturtiums Salad with Toasted Almonds and Orange Vinaigrette, Roasted Broccoli with Garlic Scape Pesto, Simple Sauteed Kale, Korean Lettuce Wraps, Summer Squash Banchan, and Korean Spicy Cucumber Salad. In addition, I also threw together a quick no-cook pasta sauce, made with Swiss Chard Garlic Scape Pesto, fresh tomatoes, fresh minced garlic, kalamata olives, extra virgin olive oil, arugula, and fresh ground pepper. Tossed with hot gluten-free pasta and a bit of pasta cooking liquid, this pasta dish was absolutely scrumptious!

Arugula, Peach and Nasturtiums Salad with Toasted Almonds and Orange Vinaigrette

Gluten-Free Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, Garlic, Swiss Chard Garlic Scape Pesto, and Arugula

A new dish I tried was Gluten-Free Pasta with Roasted Beets, Beet Greens and Pine Nuts as I wanted to be able to use the entire beet, including the greens before they went bad. 

Fresh Beets and Beet Greens Are Both Used In This Pasta Dish.

I found a lovely Bon Appetit recipe for Farfalle with Golden Beets, Beet Greens and Pine Nuts that sounded perfect. Although my beets were red, I didn't mind a bit of red staining on the pasta (I actually think it makes the pasta quite pretty). I also decided to roast the beets instead of just boiling them, to add deeper flavor and bring out the sweetness in these beets. For the gluten-free pasta, I chose Le Veneziane Farfalle, which is made in Italy. I recently discovered this gluten-free pasta (made with corn), and the quality is exceptional. Unlike brown rice pasta, Le Veneziane pastas are not gummy and I could not tell they were gluten-free.
My little guy and I enjoyed this Pasta with Roasted Beets, Beet Greens and Pine Nuts for lunch - a nice balance of flavors and textures. I got a big "thumbs up" from my little guy, the ultimate reward!

How To Roast Beets:

Roasted Red Beets from my CSA Box

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of beets with greens
• water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut greens off of beets and reserve for later. Wash and trim beets, leaving a bit of the ends attached.
3. Place beets in a shallow pie pan with 1/4" inch of water.
4. Cover pan with aluminum foil.
5. Bake 40-60 minutes, until a knife pieces the beets easily. Roasting time depends on the size of the beets. I had small and medium size beets, and ended up baking them for 60 minutes.
6. Remove beets from oven and let cool.
7. Skin will peel off beets easily, either using a paring knife to gently scrape the skin off, or using your fingers.

Gluten-Free Pasta with Roasted Beets, Beet Greens and Pine Nuts

Adapted from Bon Appetit. I used red beets instead of yellow in the original recipe, and decided to roast them for a deeper, sweeter flavor profile. The caramelized onions are a must (although I adjusted the cooking time as it was too long in the original recipe). I also added a splash of raspberry balsamic vinegar to add a little bit of tang. A sprinkle of nutritional yeast on top (vegan version) or goat cheese would be nice. 

Gluten-Free Pasta with Roasted Beets, Beet Greens, Pine Nuts and Goat Cheese (for vegan version, use Nutritional Yeast)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bunch beets with greens
• 1 tablespoon raspberry balsamic vinegar
• 8 ounces gluten-free pasta (I used Le Veneziane farfalle or bow-tie pasta)
• nutritional yeast or goat cheese, optional
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• fresh chives, for garnish

Directions:

1. Roast beets as directed above, reserving beet greens. Cut roasted beets into wedges.
2. Wash beet greens well, and cut into 1 inch pieces.
3. Cook pasta until al dente, according to directions. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.
4. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add onions and saute on low to medium-low until soft and golden brown, about 18-20 minutes. 
5. Add garlic and and stir 2 more minutes. 
6. Stir in beet greens along with raspberry balsamic vinegar. Cook for 2-3 minutes until tender. 
7. Toss cooked pasta with onion/beet greens, and roasted beets. Add pasta cooking liquid to moisten if desired. 
8. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
9. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts.
10. Serve with nutritional yeast or goat cheese, if desired.

Serves 3-4