Roasted Beetroot & Thyme Spaghetti with Olive Oil Toasted Walnuts & Sage

Ingredients

RSF, VEG (Vegan & Gluten Free Options)

15 minutes preparation time + 30 minutes cooking time

4-6

4 cloves fresh garlic
2-3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
Pinch chili flakes
3-4 large fresh beetroot
2 cups water
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey (optional)
50g Parmigiano Reggiano or parmesan (leave out for a dairy-free/vegan version)
150g goats cheese (leave out for a dairy-free/vegan version)
3/4 cup walnuts
1 bunch fresh sage leaves
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt flakes (I use 'Maldon')
500g spaghetti

Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F.
Peel the beetroot, roughly chop, and place it onto a paper-lined baking tray then bake for roughly 30 minutes.
Remove the beetroot from the oven and set aside to cool.
Add the beetroot to a blender or food processor, then add 2 cups water, the garlic, half of the thyme leaves, and blend until smooth.
In a large frypan add roughly 2 tablespoons olive oil, the walnuts, sage leaves, and a generous pinch of sea salt flakes, then cook until the walnuts are golden and the sage is just crispy.
Remove from the pan, place into a bowl, and set aside.
In the same pan (no need to rinse) add the chili flakes, and the remaining thyme leaves, and sauté for a few seconds until fragrant.
Now add the pureed beetroot mixture, balsamic vinegar, the honey, and stir for roughly 5 minutes until the mixture is warmed through and the garlic has mellowed.
Add the finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano and stir to combine.
While the sauce is simmering, cook the spaghetti for 1-2 minutes under the suggested cooking time on the packet.
Drain the pasta then add to the beetroot mixture.
Toss to combine, then simmer and stir the spaghetti in the sauce for roughly a minute, allowing the pasta to soak up the flavour and for the sauce to thicken.
Place the spaghetti onto serving plates and top with goats cheese and the walnut and sage mixture.
Serve and enjoy!

NOTES

For a dairy-free or vegan version simply leave out the Parmigiano Reggiano or replace it with nutritional yeast, and then replace the goats cheese with a dairy-free version like an almond or macadamia nut feta. You could also leave these ingredients out altogether as the recipe still tastes delicious with simply the beets, garlic, herbs, and nuts.
When I’m cooking this spaghetti for just Mike and I, I like to make a whole batch of the sauce and then portion it into 2 or 3 containers to freeze. Then when we are in need of a quick and easy dinner I just defrost the sauce, heat it up, and add some freshly cooked spaghetti or pasta. I sometimes will even just add the frozen sauce directly to a saucepan and defrost and heat the sauce at the same time.