Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Beet Pasta Dough
- 300 g tipo 00 flour
- 5 g kosher salt
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 80 g roasted beets, pureed until completely smooth
Vodka Vinaigrette
- 30 ml premium vodka
- 15 ml white wine vinegar
- 45 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 g lemon zest, finely grated
- 1 g white pepper, ground
- 2 g kosher salt
Caviar and Garnishes
- 30 g osetra caviar, chilled
- 60 g creme fraiche, chilled
- 10 g chives, finely minced
- 15 g shallots, finely minced
- 1 hard-boiled egg, pushed through a fine sieve
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Puree the roasted beets in a blender or food processor until entirely smooth, passing through a fine sieve if necessary to remove any fibrous pieces.
Mound the tipo 00 flour and salt on a clean work surface. Create a deep well in the center and add the room temperature eggs and beet puree.
Gradually incorporate the flour into the wet ingredients using a fork, then transition to kneading by hand. Knead vigorously until the dough is smooth, elastic, and uniform in color.
Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and allow it to rest at room temperature to hydrate the flour and relax the gluten.
Divide the dough into quarters. Pass each piece through a pasta machine, gradually reducing the thickness until it is about 1.5mm thick. Cut the sheets into fettuccine ribbons.
In a small mixing bowl, aggressively whisk the premium vodka, white wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon zest, salt, and white pepper until fully emulsified.
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil at 100 degrees Celsius or 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Drop the fresh fettuccine into the water and cook briefly until al dente.
Drain the pasta in a colander, shaking off excess water. Immediately transfer to a mixing bowl and toss gently with the vodka vinaigrette while the pasta is still hot.
Using a carving fork or tongs, twirl the dressed pasta into warm shallow bowls. Top each serving with a dollop of creme fraiche, a gentle spoonful of caviar, minced chives, shallots, and a dusting of sieved egg.
Chef's Notes
- Treat the vodka in the vinaigrette like a seasoning. Choose a high-quality, clean-tasting vodka as the raw alcohol bite will be prominent and cuts directly through the richness of the caviar.
- The temperature contrast in this dish is vital. The pasta should be warm enough to release the aromas of the vinaigrette, but the caviar and creme fraiche must remain sharply chilled until the moment of serving.
- Sieiving the hard-boiled egg creates a delicate, fluffy garnish known as mimosa, providing a beautiful textural contrast to the snapping pearls of caviar without weighing down the fine pasta.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Uncooked pasta dough only. Finished dish does not keep.
Freezer: 1 month — Uncooked shaped pasta can be frozen.
