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Red Beet and Walnut Pesto

Red Beet and Walnut Pesto

Beet pesto is a savory-sweet game-changer—it not only livens up pasta routine but makes an excellent put-in-on-everything sandwich spread. OR Beet pesto is the perfect blend of sweet and savory that's sure to liven up any holiday snack spread

By Rose HattabaughJune 11, 2021

  • Makes
    1 cup
  • Cook Time
    10 minutes
  • Rating

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.

Tip

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

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

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.

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