Sweet and savory roasted beet noodles served with garlicky, herby pesto over fluffy quinoa is completely addictive. Roasted beet noodles are like candy to me. With just a little olive oil, salt and pepper, the oven magically transforms them into soft, delicious noodles.
I could eat an entire baking sheet of them. But here I'm a bit more civilized and pair them with quinoa in this light and yet filling dish. To learn all about the nutritional and health benefits of quinoa, see my post on Quinoa Benefits for Vegans (+ Recipes).
Spiralizing beets is so much easier than hand chopping them. And I find the noodle shape to be so much more enjoyable than chunks of beets.
To spiralize a beet you simply peel and trim off the ends evenly. Then spiralize. That's it! Quick, easy and minimal mess.
Beet noodles are not only yummy and trendy but they are power-house nutritious. They have a naturally sweet flavor and yet are low in calories. They are known to be an excellent source of folate, a good source of potassium, vitamin C and fiber.
Beets are available all year long. I have been buying them at my farmer's market all summer long (both red and gold beets). Choose beets that are round, deep red, firm and smooth with non-wilted leaves.
The parsley pesto takes this recipe to the next level. The roasted beet noodles are already amazing but when combined with this magic sauce it is beyond addictive. My version is just 6 ingredients: fresh parsley, olive oil, pine nuts or pepita seeds, garlic, salt and pepper. Super simple. No dairy needed. The parsley and garlic shine in this creamy pesto. I use this pesto recipe on everything lately.
This recipe is vegan, soy-free, peanut-free and gluten-free. To make it nut-free substitute hemp seeds or pepitas for pine nuts (either or both will work).
If you give these a try, please let me know! Leave a comment below, rate it above, and tag a photo @eatingbyelaine and #eatingbyelaine on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook so I can see your beet noodles!
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Roasted Beet Noodles Over Quinoa with Parsley Pesto
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
This easy dish comes together quickly. I usually make a large batch of quinoa to use on recipes like this throughout the week. I recommend making the pesto while the beets roast. This is a great meal prep recipe since the beets also last for a couple days in an airtight container in your refrigerator.
Ingredients
- 2 large beets, peeled, spiralized on Blade C using the Inspiralizer, noodles trimmed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups cooked quinoa (How to Make Perfectly Cooked Quinoa)
For the pesto:
- 2 cups fresh Italian flat leaf parsley leaves, packed
- ¼ cup of pine nuts (plus more for garnish if desired)*
- ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt (or more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 large clove of garlic
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. On a baking sheet, spread out the beet noodles and coat with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper (about ¼ teaspoon of each). Bake for 10-13 minutes or until beets are cooked to your desired level of doneness.
- While the noodles cook, combine all of the ingredients for the pesto into a mini food processor and pulse until creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. I sometimes add a couple teaspoons of water if it is too thick.
- Once beets are cooked, serve them over quinoa and top the beet noodles with the parsley pesto. Garnish with more pine nuts if desired. If nut-free garnish with hemp seeds and/or green peas. I sometimes serve with avocado as well.
Notes
*If nut-free you can substitute hemp seeds or pepitas (or a combination of the two).
- Prep Time: 7 mins
- Cook Time: 13 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: oven-baked
- Cuisine: Italian American
Recipe card and nutrition facts are powdered by WP Tasty
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