Celebrity-endorsed pink pasta: A healthy culinary craze

Carleigh Bodrug started the PlantYou blog in 2016 after her father was diagnosed with colon cancer. She decided to promote a healthy, plant-based cuisine that's not only tasty but also positively impacts health.

She quickly found success. Today, the community around her social media exceeds 11 million people. Carleigh Bodrug is also the author of two cookbooks that topped the "New York Times" bestseller list.

Her recipes are lauded by celebrities, including members of the famous Kardashian family, who have recently been enjoying the pink pasta proposed by Bodrug. The distinctive colour of the dish is, of course, not the result of artificial dyes. "It owes this to the magic of beets. They allow us to create a rich, colourful, and delicious dish in just under half an hour," Kourtney Kardashian enthuses.

How to prepare it?

The primary ingredient of the dish, besides pasta, is roasted beets. Thermal processing brings out these vegetables' full flavour and sweetness, something traditional boiling cannot ensure. Moreover, such roasting means that beets retain their impressive nutritional properties.

They are a treasure trove of antioxidants, including betaine, which helps combat gastrointestinal issues and liver disorders, positively affects the circulatory system, reduces inflammation, and has detoxifying effects.

Beets are a rich source of nitrates, which convert into nitric oxide in the body, expanding blood vessels, improving circulation, and potentially lowering blood pressure. Therefore, regular consumption of these vegetables reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Nitrates also increase the efficiency of the body's use of oxygen, providing greater endurance during physical exertion.

Roasted beets provide a lot of fibre, which supports proper bowel function and helps prevent constipation and other digestive issues.

These vegetables are packed with a solid dose of folates (vitamin B9), essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system and neurotransmitter production. These valuable compounds support the fight against depression, mood swings, and mental fatigue.

It's worth roasting the beets in advance. Wash and dry 2 medium-sized bulbs, then wrap them in aluminium foil or place them in an ovenproof dish. Roast the vegetables at a temperature of 180-200°C for about 45-60 minutes until they become soft. After removing them from the oven, the skins are easy to peel off, and the beets are ready for further use. Once cooled, cut them into small cubes.

Cook rigatoni pasta, the tubes slightly larger than penne (about 500 grams), according to the package instructions, then drain, reserving half a cup of the cooking water.

In a blender, initially place one beet, add full-fat coconut milk (about 60 ml) and vegetable broth (120 ml), add cashews soaked in water overnight (about 100 grams), garlic (2 cloves), and salt (half a teaspoon). Blend. Then add the other beet, ideally in pieces, aiming for the desired colour, and pour in freshly squeezed lemon juice. Blend again.

Place the pasta in a pan, pour over the prepared sauce and the pasta water. Cook briefly on low heat and immediately serve with crumbled feta, chopped pistachios, and fresh mint or basil leaves.