Smoked Beets, Whole Wheat Pasta, Sage, Walnuts, Whipped Feta

Bow-tie pasta with smoked beets, Greek cheese and walnuts

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Everything tastes better with smoke! Especially these earthy beets tossed into a pasta recipe with natural partners like sage and walnuts. Want to get your kids to eat their beets? Try this recipe! For a lovingly curated array of Greek ingredients to pair with this recipe, check out my online store here.

Course brunch, dinner, pasta, starter

Cuisine Greek, Greek cuisine, Mediterranean diet

Keyword beetroot, Diane Kochilas, Greek recipes, sage, walnuts, whipped feta, whole wheat pasta

PREP TIME 5 minutes

COOK TIME 20 minutes

SERVES 4

Ingredients

4 large beets rinsed and boiled until al dente
1/3 cup Greek feta
2 tablespoons katiki cheese quark or Greek yogurt
Black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves cut into thin slivers
1 pound whole wheat bow-tie pasta
Salt
3 tablespoons extra virgin Greek olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped into thin ribbons fresh sage
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup walnuts toasted and coarsely chopped

Instructions

Smoke the beets: If you have a stovetop smoker, place a tablespoon of aromatic wood shards on the bottom of the smoker and place the pan and then the rack on top, with the beets over the rack. Slide the lid over the smoker and heat for 10 minutes, to imbue the beets with a nice smokey flavor. You don't need fancy equipment though. You can sprinkle a tablespoon or aromatic wood chips or shards on the bottom of a heavy pot or heavy (cast-iron), deep skillet with a lid that closes well. Place a piece of aluminum foil over the wood shards and on top of that a metal steaming basket. Place the beets in the basket and seal the pot or skillet well with its lid. Heat over medium flame for 10 minutes, as above. Remove and cool. Peel the beets and cut into thin half-moon shaped slices.