Makes 4 servings.
Pasta - One pound of your favorite variety.
Beats - Two to three medium.
Onion - One medium to large sized onion.
Lemon - One half of a lemon.
Salt, pepper, rosemary - This should be done to taste. I usually use around a tablespoon of salt. You can use other herbs like oregano or thyme as well but rosemary is one of my favorites.
Clean and chop the onion. Scrub the beats with a small brush and then simply remove any blemishes or black spots - you don't need to peel them. I chop them into quarters and then into about 1/4" slices.
Set a pot of water on high heat to start boiling.
Set a cast iron pan on low to medium heat and add some olive oil. Add the onions and saute them lightly. Add the beats and all the seasonings. Cover the pan. Stir occassionally until they are soft. You may need to add a little bit of water if things start sticking to the pan. When the beats are almost ready, add the juice of half a lemon.
While the beats are cooking, add the pasta to the boiling water in the pot. Cook them until they are "al dente". Drain them and then add salt to taste. Also sprinkle a bit of olive oil on to keep the pasta from sticking together.
Once the beats are cooked, simply combine with the pasta and mix everything together. The dish is ready to be served.
You can serve this as a hot side dish. I recommend pairing it with some grilled meat and a side of either grilled vegetables or a salad. If you like, you can also chill this and serve it cold as a salad substitute.
© Pal Pocsi 2004