SPAGHETTI WITH BEET AND HERB PESTO

• 2 medium to large beets

• 1 cup of green leaves such as spinach, basil, parsley, carrot tops or kale

• 1⁄4 cup toasted pine nuts, walnuts or pumpkin seeds

• 1⁄2 cup olive oil

• 1-2 garlic cloves

• 1⁄2-1 teaspoon salt

• 1⁄2 cup parmesan cheese plus more for serving

• 1 package of spaghetti

• Goat cheese – optional, for serving Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover each one of the beets with aluminum foil. Roast beets in the oven for about an hour, until softened. Remove from oven, unwrap the beets and let cool. You can do this up to 3 days in advance and store in the fridge.

2. Place all ingredients except goat cheese in a food processor. Process in pulses so that it does not turn into a complete paste, but very finely chopped, about 15-20 pulses. Every 5 pulses, take a break, open the lid and push down any pieces that have not been processed.

3. Cook Pasta according to package instructions. You want to cook it just until its el dente. Don't forget to sufficiently salt you water.

4. Transfer beet pesto into a large skillet and place on a medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes.

5. Drain pasta and transfer into the skillet. Reserve some of the pasta water.

6. Toss pasta in the pesto until the pasta turns purple. Add some of the pasta water (1-3 tablespoons) to loosen up the sauce and help toss.

7. Serve immediately topped with more parmesan cheese and goat cheese.

8. Any unused pesto may be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can also serve it with some crackers and cheese.