Roasted Beetroot Pesto

Roasted Beetroot Pesto is bold in flavor, nutty, with a vibrant pink hue. Pair it with pasta, fresh vegetables or spread on homemade pizza.

 
Beetroot was a vegetable I avoided up until a few years ago. When I was pregnant and my mom was visiting she made a beetroot raita that I absolutely loved and insisted she make again and again. Ever since then I’ve loved cooking with beetroot. Beets are a wonderful source of energy, improving blood flow and help to lower blood pressure so I’m always trying to find different ways to incorporate them in our diets.
 
Roasted Beetroot Pesto
 
And while I’m crazy for their sweet and earthy flavor, I think my true fascination comes from the vibrant pink color, it’s absolutely delightful to me, so I make sure these beauties make their way into everything from lassis to pasta; which brings us to this roasted beetroot pesto.
 
Roasted Beetroot Pesto
 
Puréed roasted beetroot with roasted garlic, walnuts, olive oil and parmigiana cheese give you a rich earthy pesto that tastes rich and decadent delicious while being a visual treat. While roasting the beetroot I like to add in the garlic cloves to roast as well. You can toss this vibrant pesto with pasta or add it on bruschetta and you won’t believe how this simple dish transforms into something spectacular.
 
Roasted Beetroot Pesto

 How to use Roasted Beetroot Pesto

My favorite way to serve this pesto is on a crostini. Roasted beetroot pesto and goat cheese crostini is truly the appetizer you need in your life. Make the beetroot and then assemble the crostini by slathering goat cheese on toasted baguette, a layer of beetroot pesto, more goat cheese crumbles and some fresh herbs.

Another way to use this is with pasta. Cook your pasta of choice (I use spaghetti) in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and immediately toss with roasted beetroot pesto. Top with goat cheese and enjoy hot.

Making Roasted Beetroot Pesto and Goat Cheese CrostiniMaking Roasted Beetroot Pesto and Goat Cheese CrostiniRoasted Beetroot Pesto

Roasted Beetroot Pesto
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Roasted Beetroot Pesto is bold in flavor, nutty, with a vibrant pink hue. Pair it with pasta, fresh vegetables or spread on homemade pizza.
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 1½ cup
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cup beetroot; roasted and chopped (about 1 large beet)
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • ½ cup walnuts; roasted
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Wash and scrub the beetroot and pat it dry.
  3. Place the beetroot and garlic cloves on a large sheet of foil. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and  wrap the in foil, making a foil packet.
  4. Place the packet on a baking sheet and roast for 50 minutes, or until beetroot is fork tender.
  5. Roast walnuts in a heavy bottom pan for 3-4 minutes on medium heat until fragrant.
  6. Allow beetroot to cool completely before peeling and cutting into quarters.
  7. Add all ingredients except for the oil to a food processor or blender and pulse several times.
  8. Leaving the food processor (or blender) running, slowly add the olive oil until all ingredients are well combined. If the pesto is too thick for your blender to process, add a small amount of water until desired consistency is reached.

Looking for other ways to use beetroot? Try these rainbow rotis or this beetroot kalakand.

Enjoy

 

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