
Ruby Noodles
Leave it to Nigella to come up with a fantastic and unique noodle dish! It’s red, it’s spicy, it’s cold, and it’s delicious.
In her words, with her beautiful accent: “It’s true that these made their debut in the ‘Christmas Comforts’ chapter of Cook, Eat, Repeat as a sprightly and sharp antidote to all the rich feasting (and also, it must be admitted, because of their fabulously festive colours) but this cold tangle of sour-sweet noodles is to be found on my table all year around.”
The noodles become red after spending some time submerged in beet juice. To gather the beet juice I purchased canned beets, of good quality, drained them, and saved that luscious ruby liquid. I’ve always loved reduced beet juice for vinaigrettes, like this one, but I have to say I’ve never used the juice for spaghetti! It certainly works.
Ms. Lawson suggests that even if you’re hesitant about trying cold noodles, to take that jump. After all, these are flavored with Asian ingredients which work so well with noodles, as we all know!
Ruby Noodles
Scant 1 3/4 cups beetroot juice
2 limes, divided
2 fat cloves garlic
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons Maldon sea salt flakes (or 1 teaspoon fine sea salt)
½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
12 ounces spaghetti
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil plus 2 teaspoons more
3 teaspoons fish sauce, divided
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar
4 teaspoons soy sauce, divided
Roughly chopped fresh coriander
Finely chopped chives
Put water on to boil for the spaghetti, adding salt as usual when it comes to the boil. Pour the beetroot juice into another pan, also large enough for the pasta later, and add the juice of one of the limes. Peel and mince or grate in the garlic, then stir in (I’d advise against using a wooden spoon, unless you don’t mind its getting stained) the grated ginger, salt and chilli flakes. Once you put the pasta in to cook, bring this pan to a simmer over low heat.
Cook the spaghetti in the salted boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain, add to the simmering beetroot juice pan, turn up the heat so that the beetroot juice bubbles more robustly, and cook it until the pasta is al dente. This can take up to 8 minutes, but check at 5. It really depends on the spaghetti you are using but I find it cooks more slowly in the beetroot juice.
At any rate, you will need to hover over the pan a bit, tossing it around with a pasta fork every now and again to make sure it doesn’t stick. When the spaghetti’s cooked, it will have absorbed all the bubbling beetroot juice, except for a scant, shiny scarlet syrup. If the spaghetti has absorbed all the beetroot juice before it has cooked, add in a little hot water from a just-boiled kettle, very slowly, and in gradual increments, as needed.
Once the pasta is cooked, take the pan off the heat and add 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil, 2 teaspoons of the fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of the brown rice vinegar and 2 teaspoons of the soy sauce, toss well, and decant into a shallow bowl to cool.
It will be quite sticky when cold, but don’t panic. In a little jug, mix together the juice of half a lime, the remaining 2 teaspoons of sesame oil, the tablespoon of brown rice vinegar, the last teaspoon of fish sauce, and the last 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, pour over the noodles and toss to combine.
Taste for seasoning and sprightliness; you may want more lime juice or salt.
Add the chopped herbs, toss to mix, and devour.
That looks very tasty and very healthy.
They were so good and pret
This looks so beautiful! Even though beets are not my favorite vegetable, I just might have to try this one.
Oh, you don’t taste the beets at all. It’s all about the Asian flavors!
Wonderful, then I’m all in! I’ll feed my husband the beets and indulge in pretty spaghetti!
Perfect!
It is not often that I see a recipe that I would like to try and have all the ingredients necessary to make it. Looks great.
Wonderful!!! You’ll love them!
I’m not a big beet fan but who could resist red pasta – Valentine’s day :)
You seriously don’t taste the beets with all of the wonderful Asian seasonings!
Oh my goodness, what a gorgeous recipe! So fun, and really so very easy, too! Totally perfect for Valentine’s Day … and the Christmas season. I’ve never seen anything quite like it – thanks for the terrific inspiration!
I never have either! Thanks to Ms. Nigella!
Happy Lunar New Year Mimi! Love this quick and easy pantry recipe. Best yet we have everything except the canned beets in inventory. Bright red a very lucky color too – packed with flavor.
Good to know! I love red!
I love the colour and i love Nigella!
Me, too. I could just listen to her talk!
This looks so pretty. But, I just cannot do cold pasta.
Oh really? Interesting!!!
The color adds some fun to the spaghetti, that’s for sure. I do think this sounds like a fun recipe to try. 😊
The Asian flavors are fabulous of course. The color is just added fun!
I love NIgella but cold pasta not for me..they eat a lot of cold noodles here in all different colours again I am not a fan of cold noodles or pasta but it sounds like a fun recipe nice for Valentines :)
Oh, you’re in Thailand, right?! Well, I think this was my first time having cold noodles. I really didn’t think about them being cold. They were just so good!
Yes I am and even hot I don’t eat many I much prefer rice to noodles or pasta.
Interesting! I think I love all of the different shapes!
What a cool dish! I love the color. I love beets, so this is fine with me. I also love cold noodles, especially if they have Asian ingredients.
Exactly Jeff! These are just exquisite!
never thought about doing this, but it reminds me of squid ink, coloring the pasta and adding some taste
Right! I’ve never done that at home! But I prefer the red….
That color is amazing 🤩
They’re really fun!
I have to colour rice for my husband – he doesn’t think white rice is to his liking and it’s so easy to colour it. I imagine you could just add beet juice to cooking water for pasta too? I wonder? I’d be happy with your lovely red and flavoured cold noodles. Sounds wonderful!
Oh sure! In this recipe, the pasta gets partially cooked, then finishes cooking in pure beet juice. It works great!
Beautiful noodles! I’ve actually had pasta with beetroot (pure) for a few times, so I can confirm it’s delicious (yet may not be for everyone’s taste.)
It too me a long time to enjoy beets. I mean, they do taste like dirt! And these noodles have Asian flavors so anyone who doesn’t love beets won’t be bothered by these!
I love the look of the red noodles!
They’re so pretty! Perfect for a holiday!
Coming in from a week without Internet am very glad indeed to find this delight to read! Love beetroot and all your other ingredients and cannot wait to have a ‘local’ taste of this! And am a Nigella ‘fan’ also . . .
How could anyone not love Nigella?!! She’s just a beautiful human. And has great recipes!
Great flavors, and stunning color! I’m all for cold pasta salads, so would definitely enjoy this recipe. :)
If you love Asian flavors, you will love this recipe! And the noodles are so pretty!
These turned out GORGEOUS! I love beets and use them to color treats often and LOVE what you have done with these noodles!
It’s such a vibrant color! But the recipe is wonderful!
Just showed this to my husband, and we are going to make this for our kids on Valentines Day. Hopefully it’s both fun, and a good way for them to try beets haha Thanks for sharing this.
You don’t even have to tell them! It’s just for the color!!! Sweet idea.
What a cool recipe, Mimi! I have used the beet juice for homemade pasta and for risotto, but have never seen anything like this (or your vinaigrette). Thanks for the intro to this recipe.
I know! And white bean dip! These noodles are so pretty, but they’re also delicious. Of course!
Nigella always knows how to bring something unexpected to the table! Love the idea of using beet juice to infuse both color and subtle earthiness into the noodles. The balance of sour, sweet, spicy, and umami sounds absolutely perfect, definitely adding this to my must-try list.
I know! She’s so much fun!