I love making pink pasta! It's a new discovery for me. I have been buying beetroot at our local farmers market and they come with the leaves still attached. This means I can wash the leaves and add them to salads or dishes like this one.
Pink pasta is made easily using grated beetroot. I just wash and peel the beetroot and then grate it into strips. Then toss it in with the sauce for the meal and everything goes pink. Add the pasta and you have pink pasta. This recipe cooks the pasta with the sauce, so no need for another pot. My favourite...one pot (or frying pan in this case) wonders. Less wash up, so I'm happy!
Some of the benefits of beetroot:
- Beetroot is high in nitrates which has been shown to be useful in:
reducing muscle fatigue post exercise (1)
reducing blood pressure - along with a healthy diet and other lifestyle factors - exercise for example (2)
- Good source of fibre - 2-3g/100g
- Good source of folate - good for mental health
- 1.1mg iron/100g beetroot - also good for mental health
I would recommend using oat cream (if you can find it) for this recipe. It will reduce the kilojoules/calories of the dish and reduce the saturated fats. Also trim the chicken well to again reduce the saturated fats.
Load it up with lots of leafy greens including the beetroot leaves if you can get them. Leafy greens are a good source of iron, magnesium and folate as well. All of which can benefit your mental wellbeing.
References:
[1] Maughan RJ, Burke LM, Dvorak J, et al
IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete
British Journal of Sports Medicine 2018;52:439-455.
[2] Benjamim CJR, Porto AA, Valenti VE, Sobrinho ACDS, Garner DM, Gualano B, Bueno Júnior CR. Nitrate Derived From Beetroot Juice Lowers Blood Pressure in Patients With Arterial Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Nutr. 2022 Mar 15;9:823039. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.823039. PMID: 35369064; PMCID: PMC8965354.