beet pesto pasta

This color, y'all. Right?!

This gorgeous pink pasta is in honor of sweet Georgia of The Comfort of Cooking for her surprise baby shower!

Georgia is expecting a sweet baby girl next month, and since she has some far-away food blogger friends who would love to celebrate with her, we're doing a surprise virtual shower for her today!

You probably already know Georgia and her beautiful site where she shares pretty, fresh, simple food like Herb & Citrus Roasted Chicken and Mini Caprese Pizzas. I adore her bright approach to food, but even more than that - her encouraging, warm personality. I know she is going to be the best mama to her sweet daughter, who will no doubt inherit her charm and good taste in cookies.

When we decided on a pink theme for Georgia's shower, I knew immediately that I wanted to make this pasta. The flavors scream springtime, and the color is almost too pretty to eat.... almost.

Happy shower, dear Georgia! xo

Beet Pesto Pasta (from Heather Christo's Generous Table)
serves 4-6

you'll need:
1 lb. bowtie pasta
3 large purple beets, tops trimmed
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup shelled pistachios
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
kosher salt, to taste

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the beets. Boil for 30 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain and rinse the beets with cold water. Skin, slice in quarters, and add to a food processor or blender. Add the garlic, pistachios, lemon juice, olive oil, and Parmsean and pulse until you reach the desired consistency.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt well, then add the pasta and cook to al dente according to the package directions. Drain and toss with the pesto. Serve immediately with extra parmesan. Enjoy!

Check out all the other yums that bloggers made to celebrate Georgia!

• Strawberry Cheesecake Mousse from Texanerin Baking
• Chocolate Covered Strawberry Petit Fours from Chocolate & Carrots
• Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes from Grandbaby Cakes
• Beet Pesto Pasta from Little Kitchie
• Strawberry Almond Cream Tart from Jeanette's Healthy Living
• Mini Lemon-Rhubarb Bundt Cakes from Girl Versus Dough
• Lightened Up No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits from Steph's Bite by Bite
• Strawberry Swirl Sour Cream Bars from Crunchy Creamy Sweet
• Lemon Raspberry Poppy Seed Cookie Cups from Cookie Monster Cooking
• Rhubarb Cream Cheese Hand Pies from Eats Well With Others
• Kale Salad with Strawberries, Goat cheese, and Strawberry Vinaigrette from The Roasted Root
• Roasted Asparagus and Goat Cheese Frittata from The Lemon Bowl
• Roasted Strawberry Greek Yogurt Cheesecake from Baker by Nature
• Strawberry Lemonade Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars from A Kitchen Addiction
• Strawberry Lemonade Bars from Culinary Couture
• White Velvet Layer Cake with Strawberry-Raspberry Mascarpone Buttercream from Wicked Good Kitchen
• Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Glaze from The Messy Baker

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pesto cornbread with garlic scallion butter

I am so excited to share this bread with y'all, not only because it is absolutely delicious, but also because it comes from my friend Stephanie's brand new eCookbook, Quick Bread Love!

If you don't already know Stephanie and the wonders she does with all things carb-y, it's time you did. I love her amazing recipes (from pizza to biscuits to stuffed pretzels, WHAT), but I also admire her warmth and personality that shine through her writing. Her eCookbook was released on Monday, and let me tell y'all, it's a GEM. Recipes like Key Lime Coconut Bread, No-Yeast Cinnamon Rolls, Pepperoni Pizza Muffins, Salted Dark Chocolate Pear Scones... are you drooling yet?!

As you can imagine, I had a hard time choosing which recipe to try first. But since I had everything on hand for this cornbread, and it's spring so I'm eating pesto like it's my job, this won me over. And it was heavenly! The garlic scallion butter (a recipe from the bonus mini eCookbook) sends it over the top.

Congrats on a wonderful book, Stephanie!

Pesto Cornbread with Garlic Scallion Butter (from Quick Bread Love)
yields one 8x4-inch loaf + 1/2 cup butter

you'll need:
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons pesto
1 egg
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons scallions, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan and set aside.

Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the milk, oil, pesto and egg. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack.

To make the butter, mix together softened butter, scallions, and garlic.

Spread the garlic butter on a piece of warm cornbread. Heavenly!

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pistachio pesto pasta with lamb

Springtime food might be my favorite. I love all the fresh, bright flavors and the gorgeous, vibrant colors. It just makes me happy!

This dish combines all of those things into one crazy good pasta dish. The pesto is lemony and minty and good enough to eat by the spoonful. Don't worry, you'll have some extra leftover to do just that.

Lamb turns this into a hearty spring dinner, but the pasta would also be a lovely vegetarian dish on its own. Either way, y'all are going to love this one!

Pistachio Pesto Pasta with Lamb (adapted from Running to the Kitchen)
serves 4

you'll need:
1 lb. fettuccine
1 lb. ground lamb
2 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup mint leaves
1/3 cup alfalfa sprouts
2 garlic cloves
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup shelled pistachios
1/2 cup grated pecorino
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously, then add the pasta and cook to al dente according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and cook until completely done, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the cooked lamb to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess fat.

While the pasta and lamb are cooking, make the pesto: in a food processor or blender, blend spinach, mint, sprouts, garlic, lemon juice, pistachios, pecorino, salt, and olive oil until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

Combine the cooked pasta, lamb, and as much pesto as you like (I used about half). You may want to add a bit of the reserved pasta water to thin it out. Garnish each bowl with more sprouts, pistachios, and pecorino. So good, y'all!

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