About the Recipe
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
500g baby beetroot, trimmed and halved or quartered if larger
4 sprigs thyme
200g penne pasta
2 cups (80g) rocket
250 g reduced - fat ricotta, crumbled
1/3 cup (50g) pumpkin seed kernels (pepitas), toasted
Broccoli - Walnut Pesto
300g broccoli florets
½ cup (50g) walnuts
handful basil leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 220 ° C (200 ° C fan - forced).
2. Place the beetroot and thyme in a large roasting pan, cover with foil and roast for 40-45 minutes or untiltender when pierced with a skewer. Leave until cool enough to handle, then peel the beetroot.
3. When the beetroot has been cooking for 30 minutes, cook the pasta following the packet instructions.Drain, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking water.
4. Meanwhile, for the pesto, steam the broccoli in a steamer basket over a large saucepan of simmeringwater for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Leave to cool.
5. Just before serving, set 1 cup small broccoli florets aside. Place the remaining broccoli in a food processoror blender and add the walnuts and basil, then process until very finely chopped. Add the olive oil and blenduntil combined. Add approximately 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and blend to a sauce consistency,adding a little more water if necessary. Season lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper totaste.
6. Toss the pasta, pesto, rocket and reserved broccoli together until well coated. Gently toss in the beetrootto distribute it evenly.
7. Divide the pasta mixture among 4 bowls or plates, then scatter evenly with the ricotta and pumpkin seeds.