Gluten free Beetroot Pasta
Ingredients
300 grams of gluten free flour
2 eggs (mine were 70grams each)
3tbsp olive oil
80 grams roasted beetroot (approx. 1 ½ bulbs)
Extra gluten free flour for dusting
This pink fetticine is the most delicious gluten free pasta I’ve ever tasted.
Instructions
Place the fresh beetroot bulbs, along with the eggs & olive oil into a food processor until you form a puree for about 20 seconds.
Place the flour on a board & making a well in the center slowly add the beetroot mixture a little at a time until everything is combined. Knead the dough together with a bit of work & passion. You can also make your dough in a large food processor. If you decide to use your food processor simply just whiz your ingredients until the flour looks like breadcrumbs, then tip the mixture on to your work surface & bring the dough together by kneading.
The kneading stage is very important because it helps develop the gluten free flour, otherwise your pasta will be flabby & soft when you cook it, instead of springy & al dente. This is a very therapeutic stage of pulling, stretching & squashing the dough for about 10-15 minutes. You will know when to stop when your dough starts to feel smooth & silky instead of rough & floury. Cover in cling film & place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Then you can start either rolling out your pasta or putting it through a pasta machine. Please ensure if you are using a pasta machine it is securely clamped to a clean uncluttered work service before you start.
Cut dough into 3 pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time (keep the remaining pieces covered with cling film), flatten dough into an oblong shape slightly thinner than the pasta machine's widest setting (number 1). Dust dough very lightly with flour, and feed through machine. Fold lengthwise into thirds and rotate 90 degrees. Repeat twice on same setting to smooth dough and increase its elasticity.
Turn the dial to next narrower setting. Pass dough through twice, gently supporting it with your palm. Continue to press the dough & passing it through ever-finer settings, two passes on each setting, until sheet is almost translucent and very thin but still intact . The dough will stretch to about 16 inches long. If dough bubbles or tears, pass it through again, and dust with flour if the dough is sticking.
Add fresh pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente (this will only take a couple of minutes as fresh pasta cooks quickly 4-5 minutes). Once cooked, drain the pasta in a colander and add fresh chopped coriander garlic & tomatoes. You can also add a dusting of brewer’s yeast for a cheesy flavor & season with black pepper.
The beetroot in this recipe offers a unique pink colour & earthy, nutty flavour. Beetroot contains potassium, magnesium, iron, vitamins A, B6 and folic acid, carbohydrates, protein, antioxidants & soluble fiber.
Eggs are rich in nutrients - proteins, vitamins and minerals with the yolk also containing, fat-soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids. Eggs are a important & versatile ingredient for cooking, as their particular chemical make up is literally the glue for this recipe.
It’s so good to be able to enjoy a gluten free pasta recipe that doesn’t actually cause bloating & tastes like real pasta. The gluten free pasta you buy in the supermarkets never seems to taste as good as this & is so much more expensive than regular pasta.
