Creamy Beet Pasta with Walnut Breadcrumbs and Ricotta

Ingredients

• ½ lb rigatoni pasta
• 2 large beets
• 1 head of garlic
• 2 medium shallots
• ⅔ cup California walnuts, divided
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp fresh black pepper
• ½ cup ricotta cheese, plus more for topping
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan, for topping

Instructions

Step 1: Roast the Vegetables

Preheat oven to 400°F. Drizzle beets, garlic and shallots with olive oil, then wrap each one in foil. Roast for 40 minutes until everything is tender, then unwrap and let cool.

Step 2: Cook the Pasta

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, set aside.

Step 3: Make the Sauce

Carefully peel the skin off the beets once they’ve cooled. Remove garlic cloves from the bulb. To a blender, add the cooked beets, garlic, shallot, ⅓ cup walnuts, ½ tsp sea salt, ½ tsp black pepper, ricotta and lemon juice. Add ½ cup pasta water and blend until you have a smooth, creamy sauce, adding a little more water as needed to thin.

Step 4: Prepare the Walnut Breadcrumbs

To make the breadcrumbs, chop the remaining ⅓ cup of walnuts and place into a small skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, garlic powder and a big pinch of sea salt and let cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown and toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in thyme.

Step 5: Combine

Return the cooked pasta to its cooking pot. While over low heat, pour in the beet sauce and stir to coat. Add a little more pasta water as needed.

Step 6: Serve

To serve, scoop pasta into bowls and top with dollops of fresh ricotta, walnut breadcrumbs, lemon zest and freshly grated Parmesan.

Recipe courtesy of our friends at the California Walnut Board!