Beets are rich in iron and folates and so many other nutrients our blood–and the rest of our bodies–need. The nitrates in beets can help with blood flow and blood pressure, according to health sources. And consuming beets can improve your stamina. So, in short, this is a wonder food, and one you should be incorporating into your diet on a regular basis. As much as I love red beets, I often find myself gravitating toward their golden siblings when I make something like this pesto, partly so I don’t have to worry about staining the rest of my food pink. While pink pasta may appeal to some, and no judgments, I know Jay will be quick to know there’s something amiss and turn up his nose at it. Golden pasta, on the other hand, just looks…golden. And that’s rather nice. Golden beets have almost exactly the same nutritional profile as red beets, and they also taste less earthier, which makes them perfect in this recipe and for anyone who, like Jay, doesn’t adore beets.
Tips and tricks
This pesto has very few ingredients, and cumin is what I stirred in this time for a great flavor boost, but if you want to amp up the flavor even more I have several suggestions: Check to get new recipe updates by email.
Add a teaspoon or two of za’atar into the pesto. Za’atar has a wonderful, lemony flavor that goes very nicely with beets, and it is perfect in this pesto. Squeeze in a lemon. I didn’t use any lemon in the pesto this time because I was going to add capers to the pasta and they are both salty and tangy. But lemon juice–and some lemon zest–would be great in here. Be generous with the garlic. I usually don’t add too much garlic into a pesto, but I added four cloves in here and they were perfect. I would recommend going higher, not lower, if you want your pasta to be more garlicky. This pesto works great with spaghetti. You can use another longer pasta like linguini or even angel hair. I wouldn’t recommend it for small pasta shapes, although I do sincerely believe that an orzo can dazzle with any sauce it decides to wear.
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