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.
