Beet. It’s what’s for dinner. Actually, it’s Vegan Beet Ragout.

There is something inherently challenging about Sundays.  And “special” Sundays present even grander challenges when a holiday coincides with a holy day, for instance.   Even though it’s not labeled a holy day, Super Bowl Sunday might as well be.  The popular culture gods have decreed it.  Every year Michel and I pay as little attention to the Super Bowl as possible.  This is no small feat, considering the marketing hype has made its way into seemingly every facet of American existence. Cholesterol and concussions be damned, apparently.  Even the prepared food counter at Whole Foods was stocked with chicken in advance of the game—legs, thighs, breasts, wings of every imaginable variety. No thanks.  

The only thing I remotely like about the event is the admittedly antiquated Roman numerals that have traditionally been part of the logo.  They appeal to my compulsive reading/puzzle-solving tendencies.  Sadly (for me, anyway), I read yesterday that the NFL has announced they will drop the Roman numerals for the 50^th event in San Francisco next year.  True enough, the letter L on its own presents a far less engaging (i.e. macho) look than this year’s symmetrical bookend-ish XLIX.  

I’m not the only one who has an attachment to these numerals, just so you know.  It's comforting to know The Vatican is holding firm on the topic.  Here’s a quick, amusing NPR read for my fellow nerds:  V Reasons to Love Roman Numerals 

Yesterday was one of those special Sundays when we didn’t want to venture into the world—especially the supermarket world where we would encounter lots of people hurriedly buying chicken wings, pizza, tortilla chips, and beer.  Instead, as is his wont, Michel perused the contents of the refrigerator and pantry and invented a brand new dish from the ingredients at hand: Vegan Beet Ragout.  Recipe to follow.  It’s no coincidence that the only cooking television program Michel finds interesting is “Chopped.”  In case you’ve missed this wildly popular show, competitors are given a basket of mystery ingredients and very limited time to create a dish.  There is always one ingredient that’s a curveball and Michel says there is always a key to solving the combination of ingredients if you know what goes with what.  This mystery-basket-type beet ragout proved to be a hearty winter delight—one that Michel will make again.  He also commented that this new dish proves that he indeed “eats with his eyes,” with the chunks of caramelized beet not only resembling cooked meat, but their al dente texture providing the chewy experience carnivores (and former carnivores) crave. 

A note about the pasta in this dish:

The Rustichella d’abruzzo brand Michel prefers is locally available at Lotsa Pasta. He calls it “the best pasta I’ve ever bought in a package.”  Now you know.  His advice is to get the best pasta available in the store because it really is worth it.  The torch-shaped noodles he used for this dish hold the sauce and other ingredients more readily than a smaller, thinner noodle. 

A note about using pasta water:

Michel recommends adding a few tablespoons of pasta water to the mix to help the sauce adhere to the noodles.  If you'd like to know more about pasta cooking, here's a helpful article from Smithsonian Magazine:   

"You're Doing It Wrong: The Guide to Making Perfect Pasta"

Here’s a new recipe for Sunday or any day. Hope you enjoy it!

Vegan Beet Ragout in Tomato Sauce with Rosemary

You will need:

1 medium red beet, cut into cubes

4 carrots, peeled and finely chopped

6-8 olives, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried salted capers, chopped

4 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed from stems and finely chopped

FYI: Michel says, “The more rosemary you add, the better it is.”

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 cloves garlic, chopped

½ an onion, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

Ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon pimentón

1 can diced tomatoes

1 cup vegetable broth

½ package (8-9 oz.) of Maccheroni al torchio (Rustichella d’abruzzo brand is preferable.)

In a skillet with high sides:

Heat olive oil.  Add onion and carrot.  Cook until onion becomes translucent.

Add garlic.  As garlic begins to give off its fragrance, add rosemary and reduce heat to low.

Add capers, olives, tomatoes, pimentón, salt and pepper, beet, and vegetable broth. 

Turn heat to medium, cover and stir every five minutes to prevent mixture from sticking to the pan.  Cook until beets start to soften, but they should stay al dente. 

Uncover and reduce heat to low while you cook the pasta. 

“Just follow the directions—between 10-13 minutes.” 

When pasta is done, add 3-4 tablespoons of pasta water to beet ragout.  The naturally starchy pasta water acts as a binder to help any sauce adhere to any noodle. 

Drain pasta.  Do not—repeat—do not rinse.  Did you read the Smithsonian article?  Add to beet mixture and stir to coat. 

Non-vegan option:  Top with grated cheese.