This recipe takes the classic combo of roasted beets and goat cheese up a notch by coating our goat cheese in olive oil and bread crumbs and crisping it up in the oven. The cavatelli is similar to making gnocchi and couldn’t be easier. It’s a bit of a project, so I recommend it for a weekend dinner or fancy lunch.

Handmade Cavatelli with Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese

Ingredients

1 pound small beets

½ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

½ black pepper

2 cups semolina flour 

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cups warm water

8 oz goat cheese

½ cup bread crumbs

6 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425*F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Scrub your beets with a sturdy potato brush under running water. 
2. Cut beets in half and toss with 2 Tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Put beets on your baking sheet and cover sheet pan with another sheet of aluminum foil. Roast for 30 minutes or until you can easily poke beets with a fork. 
3. Make a volcano shape of 2 cups semolina flour on a large cutting board. Sprinkle volcano with salt. Add ¾ cups warm water to the center. Stir water with your fork, bringing in little bits of flour at a time. Keep stirring until all of your flour is mixed into the water. Knead dough for 5 minutes. Your dough should feel like play doh. If it is too sticky, add a Tablespoon of flour and knead. If your dough is too dry, add a Tablespoon of water and knead. Wrap with plastic wrap and let it rest. 
4. Form your goat cheese into small quarter-sized balls. 
5. Pour 2 Tablespoons of olive oil into a small bowl. Pour bread crumbs onto a small plate. 
6. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll your cheese in olive oil and then bread crumbs. Spread out crumb covered goat cheese on your baking sheet. Bake at 425*F until crumbs are slightly browned (about 7 minutes). 
7. Fill a large pot of water and add 2 palm fulls of salt. Bring to a boil. 
8. Grab ¼ of your pasta dough. On a large cutting board, roll it into a long rope shape ½” thick.  Cut the rope into 1” pieces. Press and roll each piece of dough down a fork to make indentations and form the dough into a C-like shape. You can also use a gnocchi board, if you have one. 
9. Using a large slotted spoon or spider, lower cavetelli into your boiling water and cook for 5-10 minutes. Check one for doneness after 5 minutes. Remove from water into a large bowl.
10. Peel and slice garlic.
11. Add 2 Tablespoons olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium. Add garlic, 1 teaspoon rosemary, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Heat for 1-2 minutes or until garlic smells lovely. 
12. Pour flavored oil (with garlic and herbs) over your pasta. Add your beets and toss gently together. 
13. Serve in a bowl with goat cheese balls on top. 

Notes

• Optional to use dried pasta to make this a more weeknight friendly dish
• Try adding in some greens to the pasta for extra color and nutrients