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 cremè fraîche

and pulse, adding water by the tablespoonful as needed until you have a smooth paste. You’ll probably need +/- 1/2 cup of water.

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

• 1/3 cup walnuts

in a toaster oven or skillet. Crumble

• 1/4 – 1/3 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: 1 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.