Project Carb Loading with Nia Stamatopoulos

I have been playing football for 4 years now it feels like yesterday when I first kicked a ball. 2 of my biggest accomplishments would be representing and leading my country for the u17 Jr Matilda’s at the AFC Cup qualifiers. Another milestone for me is being the youngest ever to debut for Melbourne City in the 2018/19 W League season and 4th youngest player to debut in W League.

METHOD:

Keeping the bulbs whole, wrap the beetroot in foil, seasoning with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of flaked salt. Roast in a moderate oven (180 degrees) for approximately 45 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool.

Combine plain flour and wholemeal flour in a large mixing bowl. Add a pinch of salt and a swig of olive oil. Make a well in the centre and slowly add the water, combining the mixture with your other hand until a dough forms.

Turn out onto a clean smooth surface and knead with the palm of your hand, turning the dough back onto itself as you go. Once the dough feels smooth, return to the bowl, cover with a damp cloth and allow to rest for at least one hour.

Cut the dough into two pieces and roll each piece out with a rolling pin into a rectangular shape until approximately 4mm thick. Cut into squares of approximately 2cm x 2cm using a small paring knife.

Sprinkle a flat tray with polenta to prevent the cavatelli sticking. Sprinkle a little extra flour onto the butter paddle and push each square of pasta against the paddle, using your thumb or index finger to roll the dough against itself, creating small curved parcels. Flick each piece off the board and directly into the tray. Set aside.

Remove the leaves from the baby beetroot and chop finely.

Finely slice the baby beetroots on a mandolin and place into a small mixing bowl. Drizzle with apple cider vinegar and almond oil, sprinkle with sea salt flakes and set aside.

Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Meanwhile, make the pesto, peel the roasted beetroot and cut into quarters. Add to your food processor along with garlic, parsley, basil, almonds, ricotta salata and olive oil. Blend until you reach a paste-like consistency but there is still plenty of texture. Any unused pesto can be stored in a jar covered with a little olive oil, in the fridge for up to a week.

Add the cavatelli to the boiling water in 3 batches, blanching each for 3-4 mins or until the pasta changes colour and floats to the surface.

Heat a large fry pan with a little olive oil and add the chopped leaves, sautéing for 5 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons of beetroot pesto to the pan and combine well. Add the cooked cavatelli along with 2 tablespoons of the pasta water, combining until well coated and saucy.

Serve in a large open bowl, topped with the pickled baby beetroots, whole bocconcini and a generous sprinkle of ricotta salata.

For a visual representation of the process, refer to the video above.