Tasty Beet Pesto
A unique and healthy take on pesto, this Beet Pesto is easy to make and a delicious spread or pasta topping.
Today’s Beet Pesto may very well be my favorite recipe of the year. I mean how do you beat (no pun intended) a dish that can serve as a healthy appetizer, as well as a unique and tasty pasta topping!
Now this colorful variation benefits from many of the same ingredients as your classic basil pesto. But instead of a profusion of basil flavor, it has just a hint, with the bright, slightly sweet beet taking over as the dominant note.
The sweet savory concoction is delicious as a spread, especially smeared over toasted French bread.
Then, as a bonus, it’s tasty–and I think beautiful–stirred into pasta. My husband, who normally won’t touch beets, loved it this way, making me fight him for a taste.
Why You’ll Love This!
Flavorful and Unique. Sometimes it’s fun to shake things up! Beet pesto has some of the vibe of basil pesto but is nuanced and original.
Easy. Especially if you’ve pre-roasted beets (you could even use canned), you just need to puree a handful of ingredients making this super easy.
Wholesome. With nutritious beets, healthy olive oil, and garlic, this is a healthy appetizer. (Though it does pack some calories. )
Step by Step Overview
Place ingredients in a small food processor.
Process until well combined into a chunky spread-like mixture. If mixture is too thick to blend (mine was fine), you can add additional olive oil 1 Tablespoon at a time.
Spoon into a ramekin or other serving dish to use as a spread.
To serve on pasta, dilute the beet pesto with extra virgin olive oil or a combination of olive oil and pasta cooking water until it’s a mixable consistency. I found a 1:1 ratio worked well. Mix into pasta and salt to taste.
Variations
I also have some golden beets (which I buy for my Golden Beet Soup) in storage. Wouldn’t they make a nice color variation! I’m considering a “flight” of pesto spreads for Christmas Eve this year, so stay tuned!
While this is vegetarian, my Sun Dried Tomato Pesto works great as a vegan option.
On my first version of this recipe I went vegan as well. But it wasn’t working, and I felt it needed as little umami boost.
Adding grated Parmesan solved the problem. But if you want to try to convert this to vegan (or non-dairy), I’d suggest you try adding a little soy sauce, miso or nutritional yeast. (Tomato is an umami flavor which is probably why the tomato pesto works so well.)
Tips & FAQs
I roast my beets in bulk, then rub off the peels, chop them into bite-sized pieces then divide and freeze in 1-2 cup containers. It becomes a ready winter vegetable when I’m out of time and inspiration. And now it will serve as an ingredient repository for a fun new recipe!
And as another season-saving tip, I always puree some of my basil harvest with olive oil and freeze in 4-ounce canning jars (ice cube trays work too). Then I have some to scoop out and substitute for fresh basil in recipes all winter.
Pine nuts are the classic nut in pesto. But walnuts are a close second and truthfully almost anything will work. I even remember using Brazil nuts during the pandemic!
Don’t over process this since it’s best a little chunky. And biting in for a tiny burst of walnut flavor is a delight!
And if this has you wanting in indulge more in the flavors of fall, take a look at these recipes from some of my blogging friends:
- Pumpkin Parmesan Drop Biscuits by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Sweet and Sour Chicken Meatballs by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Glazed Pumpkin Spice Scones by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- Cinnamon Roll Apple Monkey Bread by Magical Ingredients
- Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs by Blogghetti
- Beet Pesto by Art of Natural Living
- Spiced Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies by Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
- Easy Clam Chowder by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Slow Cooker Pumpkin Spice Country Apples by A Little Fish in the Kitchen
- Apple Cornbread Muffins with Cinnamon Icing by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Chocolate Chip Ginger Molasses Cookies by The Spiffy Cookie
Beet Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked cubed beets see note
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil more only if needed to blend
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 2 large stems fresh basil leaves only, or a small spoonful of basil oil (see note)
- ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- Place ingredients in a small food processor.
- Process until well combined into a chunky spread-like mixture. If mixture is too thick to blend (mine was fine), you can add additional olive oil 1 Tablespoon at a time.
- Serve with crackers or toasted French bread as a spread.
- To serve on pasta, mix in a 1:1 ratio with extra virgin olive oil, mix with pasta and salt to taste. I used about ¼ cup each of pesto and olive for a large serving of pasta).
Love this pesto! Such a fantastic color and flavor.
I love beets and don’t normally buy them as I am the only one who will eat them. But, just maybe, they will like it this way. I love this idea of beet pesto and will be trying it soon.
Well, shoot, I had beets in my hand at the farm this week and I put them back. Guess I’ll have to make another trip!
Inger, this beet pesto is such a fun idea, that color alone makes it feel like it should come with its own drumroll.
It was like a bonus when I realized it was both really tasty and a great color!
I love beets, and this beet pesto looks amazing. That color is fantastically pretty! I make pickled beets all the time, I eat them with salads. I have special beet processing clothing lol. I can’t wait to give this recipe a try soon. Beets are so good for you 🙂
Beet processing clothing? Genius!
What a fun twist and I’m loving that color!
I think I’d make it for the color!
We are a beet loving household (which is rare — usually one of a couple is not…) — and, oh my! — that color!! We will be trying this!
Isn’t the color great! You know I never thought about it but I think you’re right about the beet household thing. John usually avoids beets like the plague so I was amazed when he gobbled down the pasta. He still wouldn’t eat this as a spread.
This sounds so nutritious! It’s gorgeous too although I’d have to wear a dark color because I’m so clumsy!
I think fear of stains is why I don’t eat beets more in the first place :). But this is truly worth the risk!
I love beets. This spread is definitely finding a home here this fall.
This is a must do for beet lovers!
HUGE beet fan here! I can’t imagine a way I wouldn’t want to eat this pesto. On bread, over pasta…or just right off of the spoon. Sounds heavenly!!!
You will love this then Colleen!