Beet Pesto: The Colorful, Versatile Sauce for First Courses and Appetizers That Will Surprise You!
If you’re looking for an original idea to wow your guests, beet pesto is the answer. One of my winning cards among the many quick pestos and sauces I’ve prepared over the years. This sauce, with its brilliant natural fuchsia color, is not only beautiful to look at but also one of the most versatile preparations in healthy, creative cooking.
One Sauce, a Thousand Uses
Thanks to its delicately sweet flavor and creamy texture, beetroot pesto is perfect for dressing first courses with a dramatic visual effect, spreading on sandwiches and burgers as a creamy, wholesome base and, last but not least, for garnishing crostini, vol-au-vent or bruschetta for original and tasty appetizers.
Preparation: Freshness or Speed?
Making this cream takes only 10 minutes and a food processor.
Traditional Method: Buy fresh beets from the greengrocer and boil or steam them to best preserve their nutritional properties.
Quick Method: Use pre-cooked beets for an immediate result without sacrificing flavor.
Other alternative pesto recipes you might be interested in:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 Servings
- Cooking methods: No-cook
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
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- 3 cooked red beets, boiled (the vacuum-packed ones you find at the supermarket)
- 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan)
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 juice of 1/2 lemon
- 6 leaves mint
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 1 Knife
- 1 Food processor
Preparation
Drain the pre-cooked beets from their preserving liquid* and cut them into large pieces.
Transfer them to a food processor and add the grated Parmigiano, the mint leaves, the lemon juice, the pine nuts and season with salt.
Pulse to blend several times, incorporating the oil in a thin stream until you obtain a coarse but homogeneous mixture.
Transfer to a suitable container and drizzle more oil on the surface. And voilà… the beet pesto is ready to be enjoyed!
Enjoy! From La Cucina di FeFè!
I dressed my favorite pasta with it! You can find the recipe HERE!
Storage
👉If needed, you can prepare beet pesto in advance and store it in the fridge in a clean glass jar for 2-3 days. Before closing the jar, level the pesto and cover the surface with a generous layer of extra virgin olive oil. This will create a natural seal that prevents air from darkening the beet.
👉You can also freeze it in the freezer for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing it in ice cube trays. Once the cubes are frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag. This way you can thaw only the amount needed for a single portion of pasta.
Tips, notes, variations and suggestions
🔵*Choosing pre-cooked beets: often fresh beets are hard to find at the greengrocer and usually only in winter, while pre-cooked ones are available year-round, allowing you to improvise a colorful appetizer at any time; not to mention that fresh beets are very tough and require about 45 minutes of boiling (or 30 minutes in a pressure cooker) depending on size. Pre-cooked ones are ready to use: open the package and blend. Lastly, fresh beets release a stubborn red juice on hands, cutting boards and clothes while cleaning. Pre-cooked beets are already peeled and therefore easier and much less likely to stain. Also, since they are steamed or cooked in their own juice, they have a uniform softness that will guarantee a very smooth and velvety cream, without fibrous pieces.
Customize your Pesto: the basic recipe calls for pine nuts, strictly Italian, but the beauty of this preparation lies in the possibility of varying the protein and crunch component. You can easily replace them with almonds for a more Mediterranean taste, walnuts for a stronger note or cashews for extra creaminess.
🔵Aromatic herbs: same principle for available herbs. Mint certainly gives an unbeatable touch of freshness, but you can absolutely use good basil.
1. Can I make beet pesto vegan?
Absolutely! Just omit the grated cheese and replace it with a tablespoon of nutritional yeast flakes or increase the amount of nuts (cashews or almonds) to maintain creaminess.
2. My pesto is too sweet, how can I fix it?
Beetroot is naturally sweet. To balance the flavor, add some crumbled feta when serving: the salty contrast is perfect.
