Beet Lentil Pasta with Feta Walnut Sauce

Looking for a different and delicious way to cook with beets? Look no further than this beet lentil pasta with feta walnut sauce. Shredded beets are cooked with lots of onion, garlic, and tangy-sweet balsamic, then tossed with creamy feta walnut sauce and pasta for the perfect healthy comfort pasta dinner. 

Hope everyone is having a good week so far! The better part of this afternoon was spent at the mall- not my favourite place, but it had to be done, as I have a wedding to attend at the end of the month and I had put off shopping for an outfit for far too long. I’m keeping the details of the wedding under wraps for now, but I’ll share more in due time. 

Today, I just want to talk to you about this pasta! The idea for this recipe popped into my head as I was drifting off to sleep one night. I jumped out of bed and wrote it down, lest I forget about it the next morning. 

I have been getting the most delicious beets in my CSA basket this summer, and it has prompted me to come up with inventive ways to use them. There are only so many roasted beets everyone wants to eat! So far, I’ve used them in veggie burgers, pesto, wraps, and sandwiches… and I’m thinking about making some kind of a “pulled beet” sandwich before the summer is out. But my family sure gobbled up this beet pasta dish; my dad said that it was one of his favourites. I’m thinking it’ll be on heavy rotation here for the rest of the summer and fall! 

ingredients you’ll need

For the feta walnut sauce, you’ll need extra virgin olive oil, garlic, toasted walnuts, feta, lemon zest and juice, honey, and dijon mustard. 

For the beets and lentils, you’ll need extra virgin olive oil, onion, garlic, sea salt, pepper, fennel, shredded beets, fresh herbs, balsamic vinegar, and cooked lentils. 

And it all gets mixed with pasta. I used rotini, but really any pasta shape will work.

the method

Make the feta walnut sauce: Warm the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until nicely browned and fragrant, stirring occasionally. In an upright blender, combine the toasted walnuts, feta, lemon zest and juice, honey, dijon mustard, and cooked garlic. Blend until smooth and pour into a glass container or jar until ready to use. 

Make the rest of the pasta dish: Warm the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and a big pinch of sea salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes. Next, add some freshly ground black pepper, the chopped fennel, and the shredded beets. Cook until the beets and fennel have softened to your liking, about 10 minutes. Finally, stir in the fresh herbs, balsamic, and cooked lentils. Cook for a few more minutes so that some of the liquid from the balsamic reduces. 

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot and add the beet lentil mixture, walnut feta sauce, and ½ cup of the reserved cooking water. Stir to combine. Add the remaining reserved water if desired. 

Serve! This pasta pairs well with a simple salad of arugula, tomatoes, cucumber, and a light lemon dressing. 

more healthy and flavourful pasta dishes

• Creamy White Bean Basil Spinach Artichoke Pasta
• Asparagus Tahini Caesar Pasta Salad (Vegan)
• Creamy Goat Cheese Lemon Pasta with Green Peas, Artichokes and Leeks

I hope that you love this beet lentil pasta with feta walnut sauce! If you make it, let me know how you enjoyed it by leaving a comment and rating below the post. And if you share a photo to Instagram, tag it @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen. I love seeing what you’ve made. 

Enjoy! 

Beet Lentil Pasta with Feta Walnut Sauce

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Allison
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

Looking for a different and delicious way to cook with beets? Look no further than this beet lentil pasta with feta walnut sauce. Shredded beets are cooked with lots of onion, garlic, and tangy-sweet balsamic, then tossed with creamy feta walnut sauce and pasta for the perfect healthy comfort pasta dinner.

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Ingredients

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Walnut Feta Sauce

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup toasted walnuts
• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• Zest and juice of 1 large organic lemon (about ¼ cup juice)
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard

Lentils and Vegetables

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼–½ teaspoon sea salt (to taste)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 fennel bulb, ends trimmed, finely chopped
• 2 medium beets, shredded
• ½ cup fresh herbs of choice (I used parsley and dill)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups cooked French green or black lentils

 

• 4 cups uncooked rotini pasta

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Instructions

1. Make the feta walnut sauce: Warm the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until nicely browned and fragrant, stirring occasionally. In an upright blender, combine the toasted walnuts, feta, lemon zest and juice, honey, dijon mustard, and cooked garlic. Blend until smooth and pour into a glass container or jar until ready to use.
2. Make the rest of the pasta dish: Warm the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and a big pinch of sea salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes. Next, add some freshly ground black pepper, the chopped fennel, and the shredded beets. Cook until the beets and fennel have softened to your liking, about 10 minutes. Finally, stir in the fresh herbs, balsamic, and cooked lentils. Cook for a few more minutes so that some of the liquid from the balsamic reduces.
3. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot and add the beet lentil mixture, walnut feta sauce, and ½ cup of the reserved cooking water. Stir to combine. Add the remaining reserved water if desired.
4. Serve! This pasta pairs well with a simple salad of arugula, tomatoes, cucumber, and a light lemon dressing.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Main Course