Beet Crostata with a Pepper-Parmesan Crust

Ingredients

Pepper-Parmesan Crust

• 1
  
  cup all-purpose flour
  
• 1
  
  teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1
  
  teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
  
• 2
  
  tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
  
• 1/4
  
  pound cold butter (1 stick), diced
  
• 2
  
  tablespoons ice water
  

Beet Filling

• 1
  
  pound beets (any color/type)
  
• 1
  
  garlic bulb
  
• 
  
  extra virgin olive oil
  
• 
  
  goat cheese
  
• 
  
  walnuts, coarsely chopped
  
• 
  
  salt and pepper
  
• 1/3
  
  cup balsamic vinegar
  
• 1
  
  egg, beaten
  

Directions

1. Cut greens from beets. Rinse and dry beets. Then wrap in foil. Wrap garlic in foil after drizzling with olive oil. Bake beets and garlic at 350°F for 1 hour. Unwrap and let cool completely.

2. For crust, put flour, salt, pepper, and parmesan in a food processor bowl fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water while pulsing until just before the dough becomes a solid mass. Turn dough onto a floured surface and form into a disk. You can wrap with plastic and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
4. Reduce balsamic vinegar until it becomes syrupy (reduced to about 1/3). This happens pretty quick. Remove to small bowl.
5. Remove peel from beets (they should easily slide off. You can peel directly into the foil and discard). Slice beets into rounds and set aside.

6. Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Roll out one portion to ¼ in thick round about 6-8 inches in diameter. Transfer to a baking sheet.
7. Cut roasted garlic bulbs cross-wise so each clove is halved. Squeeze out roasted garlic onto dough and spread around leaving a 1 in border. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
8. Arrange 1/3 of beets slices in a round on top of garlic. Generously tuck goat cheese and walnuts between slices. Sprinkle with salt.
9. Drizzle with 1/3 of reduced balsamic vinegar. Finely grate a little orange rind evenly on top. Turn and pleat edges over toppings. Drizzle with olive oil.
10. Brush dough with beaten egg. Bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes until tops are golden brown. Let cool slightly.
11. Drizzle with olive oil and serve. A squeeze of orange and/or a sprinkling of parmesan is nice too.