Recipe: Tagliatelle with Beets and Cream
Page: 124
Date Cooked: March 27, 2012
Whenever JW lists a recipe and recommends making your own pasta, I am always a bit giddy. I've done it now for three previous recipes: (1) Fettuccine with Calamari and Summer Squash; (2) Sea Scallop Fettuccine; and (3) Lasagna with Smoked Ham and Cabbage. If you ask me, nothing compares to fresh pasta. Furthermore, I have been somewhat obsessed with beets the last few months. So the combination of the two was one I was looking forward to.
The Pasta. I combined egg yolks, flour, and salt in a food processor and pulsed until it formed a ball of dough. I transferred the dough to a floured counter top and kneaded. I then let the plastic covered dough rest. I divided the dough into pieces and rolled out sheets of pasta using my pasta maker. I then used the pasta cutter and cut the sheets into strips. The pasta was tossed in flour and laid out on the counter top to dry.
I trimmed down the beets and put them in a saucepan of water to simmer until the beets got tender. I then drained the beets, let them cool, and julienned them.
I proceeded to julienne a whole lot more vegetables - the leek, celery, carrots, celery root, and red bell pepper.
With all the vegetables julienned to perfection, I brought a saucepan of water to a boil and one-by-one blanched the above veggies. I then melted some butter in a saucepan and added all the vegetables to cook for just a few minutes. Upon cooking, I added the cream to the pan and brought it to a boil. I seasoned the vegetables with salt and pepper, and removed the pan from the heat.
Meanwhile, I brought a large pot of water to boil and cooked the pasta. I drained the pasta, tossed it with some butter and the vegetables. Right before serving, I seasoned the pasta with some salt and pepper.
After this recipe, it is safe to say that I am a julienne master! Oh my goodness, so many vegetables to julienne - it was a bit crazy. I am quite lukewarm about this recipe. It really ended up being so-so. I wanted another texture or flavor, just something. The fat of the heavy cream weighed the recipe down. Though the vegetables were fresh and delicious, they were all cooked in the same fashion and got lost in the dish. I craved a spicy element or maybe even some acid - it just wasn't there. I also was hoping for a visual payoff with all those veggies and what not. However, the beet color just got on everything and it didn't look as beautiful as I hoped. Unfortunately, I would have to say this was a whole lot of work for an OK outcome.
Page: 124
Date Cooked: March 27, 2012
Whenever JW lists a recipe and recommends making your own pasta, I am always a bit giddy. I've done it now for three previous recipes: (1) Fettuccine with Calamari and Summer Squash; (2) Sea Scallop Fettuccine; and (3) Lasagna with Smoked Ham and Cabbage. If you ask me, nothing compares to fresh pasta. Furthermore, I have been somewhat obsessed with beets the last few months. So the combination of the two was one I was looking forward to.
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| Ingredients: Egg yolks, all-purpose flour, kosher salt, beets, leek, celery, carrots, celery root, red bell pepper, unsalted butter, heavy cream, and pepper |
The Pasta. I combined egg yolks, flour, and salt in a food processor and pulsed until it formed a ball of dough. I transferred the dough to a floured counter top and kneaded. I then let the plastic covered dough rest. I divided the dough into pieces and rolled out sheets of pasta using my pasta maker. I then used the pasta cutter and cut the sheets into strips. The pasta was tossed in flour and laid out on the counter top to dry.
 |
| (1) Ball of dough (2) Sheets of pasta (3) Pasta |
I trimmed down the beets and put them in a saucepan of water to simmer until the beets got tender. I then drained the beets, let them cool, and julienned them.
 |
| Beets |
I proceeded to julienne a whole lot more vegetables - the leek, celery, carrots, celery root, and red bell pepper.
 |
| Julienned (1) Leek (2) Celery (3) Carrots (4) Celery root (5) Red bell pepper |
With all the vegetables julienned to perfection, I brought a saucepan of water to a boil and one-by-one blanched the above veggies. I then melted some butter in a saucepan and added all the vegetables to cook for just a few minutes. Upon cooking, I added the cream to the pan and brought it to a boil. I seasoned the vegetables with salt and pepper, and removed the pan from the heat.
 |
| Cooking all the vegetables |
Meanwhile, I brought a large pot of water to boil and cooked the pasta. I drained the pasta, tossed it with some butter and the vegetables. Right before serving, I seasoned the pasta with some salt and pepper.
 |
| Tagliatelle with Beets and Cream |
After this recipe, it is safe to say that I am a julienne master! Oh my goodness, so many vegetables to julienne - it was a bit crazy. I am quite lukewarm about this recipe. It really ended up being so-so. I wanted another texture or flavor, just something. The fat of the heavy cream weighed the recipe down. Though the vegetables were fresh and delicious, they were all cooked in the same fashion and got lost in the dish. I craved a spicy element or maybe even some acid - it just wasn't there. I also was hoping for a visual payoff with all those veggies and what not. However, the beet color just got on everything and it didn't look as beautiful as I hoped. Unfortunately, I would have to say this was a whole lot of work for an OK outcome.
Enjoy!
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