Recipes #18 and #19: Roasted Beet / Goat Cheese Pasta Salad and Sage Walnut Pesto
Choice of libation: Pellegrino with lemon. I am not above day drinking, but if, at 11:00 am on a Monday, the lady at the convenience store looks at you with concern and says, "Oh. Are you okay? You look very tired," it's probably a good idea to hold off.Choice of music: India. Arie's Acoustic Soul - Special Edition. Did you know that there are like 37 versions of the songs "Video" and "Brown Skin"? Me neither.
Roasting beets can take a long time, so I did that first, while I prepped the pesto. I read somewhere that when you wrap beets in foil, it's not really roasting, it's steaming the beets, so I drizzled them with olive oil and sea salt before putting them in the oven in a baking pan, hoping to bring out a deeper flavour.*
So the original recipe called for a spinach pesto, but the website also had an idea for a sage and walnut pesto, so I went for that instead. Because I was feeling contrary.
I like things that take less than 5 minutes to make: place first five ingredients in food processor, pulse, add next two ingredients, pulse, done.
Spring colours*!
Ah, but I do enjoy the international food section at grocery stores. Especially when they play what they consider "ethnic music" above you. Want pasta? Here is some quivery Italian guitar instrumentals to inspire you!
Remember those beets from before? After I roasted them with balsamic and olive oil and onions, I clumsily chopped and peeled them. Then my hands and white cutting board looked like I had just committed a terrible crime. Sorry, no picture. What a wasted opportunity. Dang it.
On the up side, I just found this new filter on my camera.
After mixing the beets, onions, sun-dried tomatoes and basil, it was time to dump the pesto in, mix and let it chill for an hour in the fridge. Which sucked because I wanted to eat the salad immediately. And I hadn't even mixed in the goat cheese!
Um. I just now tasted this and proclaimed, "I AM AWESOME AND WILL EAT THIS EVERYDAY, FOREVER." Though I do have a tendency to exaggerate sometimes, you will want to try this.
*it has come to my attention that people (NAMELY MY HUSBAND) were concerned that I didn't know the proper American spelling of words like color and flavor because I've been adding the letter "u" to them. Please know that I recognize how most people in the United States spell those words. I just like to be fancy. Especially when I'm drunk. Which is usually my condition when I'm writing this blog. As you were.
littleleopardbook.com
WALNUT SAGE PESTO
1 cup fresh sage
1 cup fresh Italian parsley
4 cloves garlic (crushed)
½ tsp black pepper
1 cup walnuts
½ cup olive oil
1 lemon (juiced)
¼ cup water
Begin by adding the sage and parsley to a food processor.
Next, add the garlic, black pepper and walnuts.
Puree in the food processor for 15 seconds then add the lemon juice.
Turn the food processor back on and add the olive oil through the pour spout at the top.
Next, add the water while continuing to puree an additional 30-60 seconds or until all ingredients are combined.
ROASTED BEET AND GOAT CHEESE PASTA SALAD
3 medium beets (peeled and quartered)
1 tbsp Enzo Olive Oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ red onion (diced)
1 cup uncooked pasta (I recommend macaroni, penne or small shells)
¼ cup sun dried tomatoes (chopped)
¼ cup fresh basil (chopped)
1 cup spinach pesto
¼ cup goat cheese (crumbled)
Preheat the oven to 450°.
Place the beets in a baking pan with the olive oil, sea salt and balsamic vinegar.
Add the diced red onion, then place in the oven for 45-60 minutes.
Remove from the oven, open the foil and allow the beets to cool 10-15 minutes.
Cook the pasta according to package directions.
Drain the cooked pasta, place in a large mixing bowl then add the sun dried tomatoes and basil. Chop the roasted beets, then add the beets and onions.
Add the spinach pesto.
Mix well then place in the refrigerator to chill for one hour.
Add the goat cheese before serving.
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