Penne With Beetroot Cream and Toasted Poppy Seeds

Look at this beautiful red colour! We should be grateful to Mother Nature for giving us beetroot that has an amazing colour like this!

My body has a lack of iron (just a little bit) these days so I try to eat as many meals as I can that are rich in iron. Iron rich foods can fortify your blood, in a properly balanced diet. Iron, the metal, is an element that is also a nutrient mineral that humans need to consume as a part of our everyday diet. Iron, in some form, is essential for good health. It is also important to eat foods rich in vitamin C because this vitamin enhances the absorption of iron into our body. If we are not getting enough iron, the best way to increase our iron intake is by effecting a slight change in our eating habits.

If you are a vegetarian like me it’s good to know that foods such as beans, whole grains, spinach and dried fruits have a significant amount of iron.

Penne With Beetroot Cream and Toasted Poppy Seeds
(Recipe inspiration: Bev Cooks)

Ingredients (serves 2)

- 200 g penne pasta
- 3 medium beetroot, peeled and diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 4 tabelspoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock
- 1/4 cup cream or oat cream
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- salt, pepper

Method

In a bowl mix together the diced beetroot with 2 tablespoons olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Place it on a baking sheet and roast at 180C (356F) until tender (about 30-40 minutes). In the last 10 minutes baking, sprinkle the beets with the garlic and bake them together.

Transfer garlicy beets to a food processor and add balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/4 cup grated parmesan and pulse until it gets smooth. Transfer the mixture to a pan and add vegetable stock, cream and the leftover parmesan. Season with salt and pepper and simmer on low temperature while you prepare the rest of the dish.

In a medium sized pan bring water to a boil. Add salt into the boiling water and cook the penne al dente. Drain and set aside. In a dry non-stick pan toast the poppy seeds in 2-3 minutes.

Pour the beetroot sauce over the penne and serve immediately. Sprinkle with fresh thyme, the toasted poppy seed and some parmesan.

Enjoy!