Roasted Beet Greens with Beet Green Pesto
6 to 8 medium red or golden beets (about 2 pounds)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (toasting optional, but recommended)
8 ounces beet greens, cleaned and chopped
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt plus more for roasting
1/2 teaspoon black pepper plus more for roasting
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Wash and peel beets (do this with gloves on to avoid stained hands or use it as an opportunity to make beets seem cool to your kids). Cut each into 6-8 wedges. Drizzle with olive oil and toss with a generous pinch each salt and pepper. Spread beets on baking sheet and roast in the oven for 25 minutes or until fork tender. Toss beets halfway through.
In the meantime, add walnuts, beet greens, Parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper to your food processor. Pulse until fairly broken down. With the blade running, slowly stream in the olive oil until pesto consistency happens.
When the beets are done, cool for 5 minutes on the counter before tossing with the pesto.
Yield: 4 servings