Beet Pasta with Béchamel and Pancetta

I've been craving carbs lately, which is not unusual, but I don't usually crave pasta. I feel like I still carry a negative stigma about pasta in terms of a "healthy diet"...  but really it's not that bad. I am a firm believe in everything in moderation. So, when I want pasta, like today, I'm going to get it! And I'm not going for the boxed store bough version either; I'm going to make myself some fresh homemade pasta because it really is super easy and WAY better than anything you can buy in the store!

And... I'm going to hit the gym to burn off my delicious dinner tonight. I've been doing a great job staying focused on my fitness goals. Mantra up!

Today's workout: some core circuit work inspired by my total body conditioning class on Saturdays that I love, followed by an hour on the elliptical. Watching criminal minds of course. A great way to pass the time... and develop a phobia of strangers.

Today's meal: beat pasta with pancetta and bechamel sauce. It doesn't really taste like beets, but it's got this wonderful exotic color and added nutrition. Well, the belchamel on top and the pancetta might take away from that. But hey, all that time on the elliptical!

I've made pasta couple times before, but that was usually for ravioli. It took me a couple tries to get ravioli right, but making straight noodles is much less complicated. I also discovered that they have pancetta in my grocery's deli and it's way cheaper than the prepackaged version (read: I will be eating a lot more pancetta!).

I used the recipe here. It made about 3 - 4 portions of pasta. It calls for a juicer for the beets - I don't have one yet so I just blended some canned beets and their juices together. The color was not as vibrant as in the recipe's photo - it faded as you boiled the pasta. Add more rather than less, and adjust the amount of flour as you do. The recipe also says to boil the pasta much longer than you should - 1:30 - 2 minutes max.

Belhamel is a french mother sauce that is super simple and delicious. Recipe here. Simply fry up the pancetta, cut into small pieces, and toss into pasta. Even the guy loved it, and he is not a pasta fan!

Next time I make pasta, I'm trying the spinach version. Making my own momentum one dinner at a time!