Beetroot bucatini

Method

• step 1

  To make the beetroot sauce: bring a pan of water to the boil, add the whole beetroot and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain the beetroot and set aside to cool for a few minutes, then cut into quarters.

• step 2

  Meanwhile, in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil and cook the onion, garlic, parsley and basil stems for 3-5 minutes until fragrant and soft. Remove from the heat; do not wash the pan.

• step 3

  Put the beetroot into a food processor or blender, add the onion mixture, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pulse for 1 minute, then, with the motor running, stream in the milk. Blend on high speed until very smooth.

• step 4

  If the sauce is too thick, add a little more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, to loosen. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the bucatini and cook for 9 minutes or until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 4-5 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water.

• step 5

  Meanwhile, prepare the crispy garlic breadcrumbs. In a separate frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat, add the garlic and fry for 1 minute until lightly browned. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until the breadcrumbs are lightly charred and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

• step 6

  In the same frying pan used for the onion and garlic, add the cooked pasta and beetroot sauce and stir well over low-medium heat for 2 minutes. If too thick, stir in some of the reserved pasta water.

• step 7

  Serve the pasta in bowls or on plates, garnished with roughly torn basil leaves, crumbled feta cheese and crispy garlic breadcrumbs.