Sausage and Beet Pasta with Ricotta Sauce and Capers

Inspired by my cousin Ian’s beet pasta he made, we had beets from the garden to use up and all the ingredients to recreate what he made. I added my own little flare with the ricotta sauce and included the beet leaves in the dish as well. Came out delicious - similar to a sausage and broccoli rabe pasta dish.

The main ingredients:

3 raw beets and leaves - beets diced into small bite sized pieces and leaves and stems chopped roughly

4 hot Italian sausages

1 bag/box of good pasta - I used Scialiatelli

Few tbsp pesto

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

Capers and parsley to garnish

This is a recipe where you have to do a few things at once but it comes together in less than 30 minutes. I’d start grilling/sauteeing sausages first, sauteeing beet greens over medium heat with olive oil, garlic, and some pesto, and simultaneously boiling water to get it ready for the pasta. When sausages are <5 minutes done, boil both beets and pasta in salted boiling water for about 11 minutes (or however long your pasta says to cook). *Reserve some of the boiling pasta water when it’s done for the ricotta sauce.* When sausages are done cooking, slice them into bite sized pieces. Meanwhile make the ricotta cream sauce:

For the Sauce Base:

• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese

• 1 large egg

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 lemon, zested

• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste

What To Do:

Meanwhile, combine ricotta cheese, egg, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Mix until a paste forms. Add 1/3 cup hot pasta water and whisk well.

Back to the pasta:

When pasta and beets are done cooking, strain and reserve some of the liquid for the ricotta sauce. Put pasta and beets back in pot and pour ricotta sauce over it. Cook over low heat for about 2 minutes until sauce thickens. Add the sauteed beet stems and leaves and sliced sausages. Stir to combine. Serve in bowls and top with capers and minced parsley.