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Recipes Nugget Markets Signature Recipes

Beet Capellini & Arugula-Basil Emulsion

Prep time
15–20 minutes PT20M
Cook time
2 minutes PT2M
Yield
Serves 4
Difficulty
1 out of 5 on the difficulty scale
beet_capellini_arugula_pesto1 Nugget Markets signature recipes

Ingredients

  • 4 medium-sized red beets cut on a spiral food slicer*
  • 2 quarts filtered water
  • 1 large handful of arugula
  • 10 large basil leaves
  • ½ cup cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup pine nut “cheese”
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar
  • 1½ teaspoons agave nectar
  • 1 teaspoon Himalayan rock salt
  • 12 yellow pear tomatoes, halved

Preparation

Attach each beet to spiral slicer to form capellini; set aside in large bowl. Slice a garlic clove lengthwise into paper-thin slivers.

Combine arugula, basil, oil, “aged pine nut cheese”, 2 garlic cloves, vinegar, agave nectar, and salt in a blender and purée.

Heat filtered water to 105ºF. Pour directly over beets and let stand approximately 2 minutes; drain.

Divide beets among four bowls, drizzle evenly with Arugula-Basil Emulsion, and then top with halved pear tomatoes and a couple of slivers of garlic.

*Spiral food slicers are readily available via the internet or at Asian restaurant supply stores. They range in price from $24.99 up to $59.99.

Techniques used in this recipe:

puree
puree: to process food (by mashing, straining, or chopping it very fine) in order to make it a smooth paste. Also, a product produced using this technique.

Glossary:

basil

Native to tropical Asia and Africa; there are 30 to 40 different species but generally only one common to the spice industry.

The basil plant is a low-growing annual approximately 18-inches in height. When seen growing in the field, it is almost succulent in appearance and gives off a sweet fragrance as one brushes by. The leaves are quite large, up to 2 1/2-inches in length and from 1/2 to 1-inch in width. The taste of fresh Basil is reminiscent of licorice, and the dried leaves have a lemony, anise-like quality.

Basil is versatile in its uses, which are limited only by the degree of inventiveness of the cook. It has a special affinity for tonatoes and tomato-based recipes, whether they be salads, vegetables, sauces, or main courses.

Pair with

  • Refosco

    This grape varietal is primarily grown in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeastern Italy. Refosco is often referred to as Mondeuse Noire and makes delicious everyday table wines.

  • Sangiovese

    Responsible for the three great wines of Tuscany: Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino, Sangiovese is Italy's most famous grape.

  • Verdelho

    Madeira's most planted white grape varietal. Verdelho is also grown in Australia, where it produces light- to medium-bodied wines, with apple and peach aromas and flavors.