Roasted Beet and Walnut Pesto
When you roast a beet, the flavour comes alive! This pesto features roasted beets and crunchy walnuts — a twist on a classic.
Use this pesto on pasta, spread on toasted baguettes for a really delicious bruschetta, or spread on pizza.
How long does Roasted Beet and Walnut Pesto take to make?
It takes about an hour to roast the beets, but only a few minutes to make the pesto. Using a food processor or blender will make the pesto smooth and lump free.
Let’s talk about the ingredients for Roasted Beet and Walnut Pesto
Roasted beets – Roasting the beets brings out their amazing flavour and gives almost a caramel-y sweetness to the pesto.
Walnuts – The bitterness of the walnuts pairs nicely with the sweet beets.
Garlic – Can you make pesto without garlic? Probably, but that won’t be me!
Parmesan – Parmesan cheese ties the whole recipe together with it’s nutty saltiness.
Extra virgin olive oil – Use the best quality olive oil you have!
Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed, the acidity of the lemon adds balance and brightness.
Can Roasted Beet and Walnut Pesto be Vegan?
Yes! Leave out the parmesan cheese, but add in a teaspoon of nutritional yeast for the cheesy flavour.
Can Roasted Beet and Walnut Pesto be Gluten-Free?
Yes! The recipe made as stated below is gluten-free.
The Roasted Beet and Walnut Pesto Method
First, preheat your oven to 375°F. Peel and chop the beets into about 1-inch cubes, and wrap in aluminum foil. Place the foil-wrapped beets onto a baking sheet — you don’t want the beet juice to leak out, all over the inside of your oven!
Roast the beets for 1 hour, then completely cool before making the pesto.
In a food processor, mix beets, garlic, walnuts, Parmesan, and lemon juice until chopped into very small pieces. While the processor or blender is running, slowly add olive oil until mixture is smooth.
This pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week.
Roasted Beet and Walnut Pesto
Equipment
- 1 Sheet pan
- Aluminum foil
- food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 1 medium beet
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup walnuts toasted
- 1/2 cup Parmesan grated
- 1/2 cup olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Peel & chop beets into 1-inch cubes; wrap in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Roast for 1 hour. Completely cool.
- Mix beets, garlic, walnuts, Parmesan and lemon juice in a food processor until chopped into very small pieces. While processor is running, slowly add olive oil until mixture is smooth.
- This pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week.