Roasted Beet & Garlic Linguine with Walnuts & Feta

Pasta with Roasted Beet and Garlic Sauce

Even if this weren’t so delicious, it would be worth it for the color alone.

Pasta with Roasted Beet and Garlic Sauce

Even if this weren’t so delicious, it would be worth it for the color alone.

Clothing-staining dinner for four
Shopping List

4 medium red beets

4 garlic cloves

2 TBL olive oil

Thyme sprigs, a few

2 15-oz cans cannellini beans (see note)

1 TBL red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar

3 TBL creme fraiche

1 lb linguine

¼ to ⅓ lb feta cheese

⅓ cup walnuts

parsley or dill

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Scrub well

  • 4 medium red beets

and cut them into wedges. Place the beets and

  • 4 unpeeled garlic cloves

in a roasting tray and toss them with a little olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and some fresh thyme leaves. Roast 30-40 minutes, until beginning to caramelize.

Take out of the oven, trim any tough, darker bits from the beets. Put in a food processor. Squeeze the garlic from the skins into the food processor too. Add

  • 2 15-oz cans cannellini beans, drained (see note re dried beans)
  • 1 TBL red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
  • 3 TBL creme fraiche

and pulse, adding water by the tablespoonful as needed until you have a smooth paste. You’ll probably need +/- ½ cup of water.

Cook the linguine & drain it. While the linguine is cooking, toast

  • ⅓ cup walnuts

in a toaster oven or skillet. Crumble

  • ¼ – ⅓ lb feta cheese

Return the drained pasta to the still-warm pot and stir in the beet sauce.

Serve topped with toasted walnuts, a little crumbled feta and chopped parsley or dill.

Note: ¾ cup of dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight and cooked until tender (about 25-60 minutes, depending on how old the beans are) will yield about 3 cups, the equivalent of 2 cans of beans.

Inspired by a recipe from chowhound.com.