Beetroot Gratin – Rustic Italian by Domenica Marchetti

Last night I made a Beetroot Gratin from Rustic Italian (Williams-Sonoma): Simple, Authentic Recipes for Everyday Cooking by Domenica Marchetti.  I was sent an advanced copy for review and let me just say, if you love beets or even if you only kind of like beets – this gratin will change your life.  To be honest, this entire cookbook will change your life.  The recipes are amazing and the photography will knock your socks off.



Back to beets – I have been eating beets for as long as I can remember.  I love them roasted, pickled, boiled, raw.  Love them.  Never have I ever eaten them in a gratin though.


Domenica was so sweet to give me the green light to share this recipe with you.  So here it is.  Print it out, make it tonight and savor the amazingness that is beets & fontina!

Barbietole Gratinate
BEET GRATIN WITH FONTINA & WALNUTS
[print]


Ingredients
Butter for greasing
6 medium beets, peeled and thinly sliced with a mandoline or sharp knife
2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces fontina cheese, shredded
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts


Directions
1 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Butter an 8-inch baking dish.


2 In a large bowl, combine the beets and olive oil and toss gently to coat.  In a small bowl, stir together the cheese and thyme.  Arrange about one-fourth of the beets in the bottom of the prepared dish, overlapping them very slightly.  Sprinkle about one-fourth of the cheese and thyme mixture over the beets and season lightly with salt and pepper.  Repeat to make 3 more layers, sprinkling the last layer of the herbed cheese with a little more salt and pepper.  Drizzle the cream over the surface and sprinkle with walnuts on top. 


3 Bake until the beets are tender and the walnuts are nicely browned, about 45 minutes.  Remove the gratin from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.


Serves 6


Note: I was sent an advanced copy of Rustic Italian by Domenica Marchetti for preview purposes and have not been asked to provide a post.  All opinions and photographs are my own.