This is about as cheerful as dinner gets. It is super simple and on the table in minutes. A favourite recipe from The Modern Cook's Year. Be sure to undercook your pasta as it will cook for another couple of minutes in the pan with the beetroot, which will turn it bright fuchsia pink; nature’s neon. I like to make this for kids and my son loves to watch as the pasta starts to turn pink, doesn’t necessarily mean he eats it.
First, peel and coarsely grate your beetroot. Fill and boil a kettle. Heat a frying pan on a medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil, then the beetroot and capers, and cook for about 7 minutes until the beetroot has lost its rawness and there is no liquid in the pan
Meanwhile, fill a large pan with boiling water and add a good pinch of salt. Bring back to the boil, then add the pasta and cook for 3 minutes less than the packet instructions. Once the pasta has had its time, drain it in a colander, reserving about 150ml of the cloudy pasta water to make your sauce. Put the pasta and the reserved water into the pan with the grated beetroot and simmer over a high heat for about another 3 minutes until all the water has evaporated and the pasta has turned deep pink and is perfectly cooked
Take the pan off the heat and add the chopped dill, then squeeze over a little lemon juice and finish with a really generous drizzle of olive oil, more than you think you’ll need, and salt and pepper.
An essential addition to every cook’s bookshelf, The Modern Cook’s Year will show you how to make the most of seasonal produce, using simple, hugely inventive flavours and ingredients. Divided into six seasons, the cookbook contains over 200 delicious vegetarian recipes interspersed with tips on everything from seasonal music playlists to flowers to look out for in each month of the year.
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