Beetroot Pesto Pasta
A delicious pasta dish, tossed in a bright pink beetroot pesto sauce and topped with fresh basil leaves.
Substitute:
- No walnuts? Swap for pecans, almonds, cashew, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
- No beetroots? Try with broccoli, carrots or tomatoes instead.
- No pasta? Serve your pesto with rice, noodles or as a salad dressing.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
200 g Beetroots
2 tbsp Olive oil
Salt & pepper
30 g Walnuts
100 g Ricotta cheese (or vegan alternative)
30 g Lemon juice
100 ml Water
400 g Pasta
For the topping:
Basil leaves
Walnuts
Recipe:
- Preheat the oven to 200 C/180 fan/gas mark 6. Peel and cut the beetroots into wedges (make sure you compost the skins).
- Put the beetroot wedges in a baking dish with the olive oil, 2 tbsp water, salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until tender. Cook your favourite pasta in boiling salted water until al dente, then drain and set aside.
- Blend the beetroot wedges, walnuts, ricotta (or vegan ricotta), lemon juice and 100ml until smooth and all combined.
- Mix your pasta into the beetroot pesto. Add a splash of water if the pesto's too thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve with chopped basil leaves and crushed walnuts for some crunch.
How to store
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Leftovers
Make a beetroot risotto. Cook your risotto and add the beetroot pesto at the end for a bright pink risotto. Turn it into a salad dressing. Mix 2 tbsp of the beetroot pesto with olive oil and lemon juice or vinegar for a creamy salad dressing.
