Beet Pesto Sauce

I can honestly say this was ONE of the most delicious pasta dishes I’ve ever had. There is nothing I love more than creating a dish that looks AND tastes this good…

Believe it or not, this recipe was super easy. I’ve always loved trying different versions of pasta sauces. I can’t deny my love for classic marinara but it can often be so acidic…beets are a great alternative!

This beet pesto sauce is packed with vitamins and minerals from the beets and healthy fats from the walnuts and EVOO. Plus the texture was so smooth, creamy, and nutty!

Ingredients:

4 beets (roasted or steamed)

4 cloves of garlic

3-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons of red chili pepper flakes

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup of walnuts (almond or pine nuts would work too!)

Feta cheese

Fresh Dill

1 lb of your pasta of choice

Pasta water

Prep:

1. Cook your beets. I cut and trimmed the leaves and ends and drizzled with a little Olive Oil. Then, individually wrap them in tin foil, and roast on 400 degrees for about 50 minutes. Once they’re done, I cut them in thirds to process easily in the blender.

2. Cook 1 pound of your favorite pasta al dente. Save a little bit of the pasta water while it’s cooking, this will help to thin the beet pesto. Set pasta aside and drizzle with a little olive oil. I used a white linguine because I really wanted to taste the flavor of the beets!

3. In a blender (I used my NutriBullet) pulse the walnuts and garlic. Then add your beets, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and red chili pepper flakes. Blend until smooth and creamy.

4. Mix the pesto with the linguine. Use a little bit of the pasta water you reserved to break up the sauce if need be.

5. Mix together fresh chopped dill, feta cheese, and olive oil to crumble on top of the pasta and serve.

That color though…enjoy!

Broccoli Kale Pesto

This was a delicious blend of nutritious vegetables that came together to make this “creamy” pesto sauce. There is nothing better than packing nutrients, superfoods, and leafy green vegetables into a pasta dish. If you agree, this recipe was super easy and fun to make.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of broccoli

• 1 cup of kale

• 1 cup of fresh basil

• 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese

• 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

• 3/4 cup of almonds, walnuts, or pine nuts

• 4 cloves of garlic

• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or juice from 1/2 a lemon

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1/2 - 3/4 cups of pasta water

• 1 lb. of pasta

The consistency of the pesto sauce was creamy, smooth, and tasted incredible.

Preparation:

• Wash and stem the broccoli and kale. Steam, and then set aside.

• Cook the pasta al dente and set aside. Reserve a filled coffee mug with pasta water while it’s boiling.

• In a blender, pulse the garlic and nuts until smooth. Then add the kale, broccoli, basil, parmesan cheese, olive oil, a little pasta water, and blend until smooth. If your blender is small, you can always add little bits at a time! Add more pasta water if need be, and salt to taste.

• Pour the pesto over the pasta. You may need to add a little hot pasta water to loosen it up.