Milk Street Community

Red Beet and Walnut Pesto

Adapted by Rose Hattabaugh

1 cup

10 minutes

Free

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Milk Street Facebook Community member Mia Lieberman of Watertown, Massachusetts, makes a colorful pesto with roasted beets. Toasted walnuts and salty Parmesan cheese complement the beets' natural sweetness, and a little lemon brightens up the flavors. Store-bought cooked beets make this a breeze to throw together; you’ll find them in the refrigerated produce section of the supermarket. This recipe makes enough pesto to sauce 1 pound of pasta (reserve a little pasta water to add while tossing); Liberman also recommends it on pizza and we think it makes a fantastic spread on sandwiches.

1

cup

Tip

Don’t process the pesto until smooth. The texture is best when it’s a little chunky.

10 minutes

4 ounces cooked red beets, cut into rough 1-inch chunks

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 medium garlic clove, smashed and peeled

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted

1 ounce Parmesan cheese, finely grated (½ cup)

1/4 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Ingredients

4

ounces cooked red beets, cut into rough 1-inch chunks
1

teaspoon grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1

medium garlic clove, smashed and peeled
½

cup walnuts, toasted
1

ounce Parmesan cheese, finely grated (½ cup)
¼

cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
¼

cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

01

In a food processor, combine the beets, lemon zest and juice, garlic, walnuts, Parmesan, parsley and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Pulse until roughly chopped, 5 to 10 pulses, scraping the bowl as needed. With the machine running, stream in the oil, then stop the machine. Transfer the pesto to a small bowl, then taste and season with salt and pepper.