GLUTEN-FREE SHELLS WITH BEETS, RICOTTA, AND PISTACHIOS

If we didn't tell you this pasta was gluten-free, would you guess? Probably not. But even if you did, you wouldn't care thanks to the crunchy and creamy additions of pistachios and ricotta. Oh, and beets! Seek out Andean Dream gluten-free shells or Rusticello d abruzzo—they're our favorite brand by far—and then get cooking. There's enough good stuff going on in this recipe, you'll completely forget that it's missing anything at all.

Cook Time25 mins
 0.33 cup raw pistachios
 1 tsp plus 5 Tbsp. olive oil; plus more for drizzling
 Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
 1 cup ricotta
 2 lbs small golden beets, scrubbed
 1 large shallot, finely chopped
 3 tbsp Champagne vinegar
 12 oz gluten-free shells or other short pasta (rustichlla d'abruzzo Penne Rigate or Fusilli
 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives
 Flaky sea salt
1

Preheat oven to 350°. Toast pistachios on a baking sheet, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes. Let cool, then chop. Toss in a small bowl with 1 tsp. oil; season with kosher salt and pepper.

2

Process ricotta and 1 Tbsp. oil in a food processor until smooth (or whisk in a bowl); season with kosher salt and pepper.

3

Cook beets in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 12–15 minutes. Transfer to a kitchen towel and let cool slightly. Rub off skins with paper towels and slice ¼” thick. Toss in a large bowl with shallot, vinegar, and 4 Tbsp. oil; season with kosher salt and pepper.

4

Return beet cooking liquid to a boil and use it to cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving ½ cup pasta cooking liquid.

5

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high. Cook beets and dressing, tossing occasionally, until beets are golden brown in spots, 8–10 minutes. Add pasta and cook, tossing and adding cooking liquid as needed, until pasta is coated.

6

Serve pasta over ricotta topped with pistachios and chives and drizzled with oil. Season with sea salt and pepper.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 4

Ingredients

 0.33 cup raw pistachios
 1 tsp plus 5 Tbsp. olive oil; plus more for drizzling
 Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
 1 cup ricotta
 2 lbs small golden beets, scrubbed
 1 large shallot, finely chopped
 3 tbsp Champagne vinegar
 12 oz gluten-free shells or other short pasta (rustichlla d'abruzzo Penne Rigate or Fusilli
 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives
 Flaky sea salt

Directions

1

Preheat oven to 350°. Toast pistachios on a baking sheet, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes. Let cool, then chop. Toss in a small bowl with 1 tsp. oil; season with kosher salt and pepper.

2

Process ricotta and 1 Tbsp. oil in a food processor until smooth (or whisk in a bowl); season with kosher salt and pepper.

3

Cook beets in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 12–15 minutes. Transfer to a kitchen towel and let cool slightly. Rub off skins with paper towels and slice ¼” thick. Toss in a large bowl with shallot, vinegar, and 4 Tbsp. oil; season with kosher salt and pepper.

4

Return beet cooking liquid to a boil and use it to cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving ½ cup pasta cooking liquid.

5

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high. Cook beets and dressing, tossing occasionally, until beets are golden brown in spots, 8–10 minutes. Add pasta and cook, tossing and adding cooking liquid as needed, until pasta is coated.

6

Serve pasta over ricotta topped with pistachios and chives and drizzled with oil. Season with sea salt and pepper.

GLUTEN-FREE SHELLS WITH BEETS, RICOTTA, AND PISTACHIOS

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