This is one of my favorite beet dishes. The vibrant pesto is terrific with the rich, roasted butternut squash, the meltingly soft onions and the tender beets. I like to serve this dish with green salad filled with herbs, and for a hearty meal with a lentil dish alongside, as the earthiness of the legumes pairs wondrously with the voluptuousness of the roasted beets and butternut squash.
Roasted Beets, Butternut Squash and Red Onions with Zesty Parsley Pesto
Ingredients
For the Vegetables
- 4 red beets, unpeeled
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 1 medium butternut squash, halved, seeded, peeled, cut into 1⁄3-inch slices
- 1 large red onion, peeled, thinly sliced
For the Pesto
- 1 cup parsley leaves
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 4-5 cornichons
- ¼ cup olive oil, extra virgin
- Zest and juice of 1 small Meyer lemon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Place the beets in a small baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, add a good pinch of salt and some pepper, and roast for 50–60 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a knife. When cool enough to handle, peel the beets and slice into 1⁄3-inch rounds.
- Pour a little olive oil onto a rimmed sheet pan. Place the butternut squash and onion slices in the pan and turn to evenly coat with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the same oven as the beets for 40 minutes. While the vegetables are roasting, make the pesto. Place all the pesto ingredients in a food processor or blender, and purée to a semi-smooth consistency.
- Arrange the beets, squash and onions on a large serving platter. Spoon the pesto over the vegetables. Serve warm.
