Pasta With Roasted Beet

700g beetroot

3 garlic cloves, crushed

Juice of ½ lemon

250ml heavy cream

Olive oil

400g penne pasta

To garnish

Grated parmesan

Toasted walnuts, chopped

Finely chopped parsley or basil

Preheat the oven to 375ᐤF. Place the whole beetroot in an oiled baking pan, rub with olive oil and cover tightly with foil. Roast the beetroot until fork tender (around 1-1 ½ hrs depending on the size of the beetroot). Set aside to cool. Once cool, peel the beetroot (the skins should slip off easily) and cut into bite sized chunks. Saute the garlic in the pan with some olive oil for a couple of minutes over a medium heat. Add half the beetroot and the cream, and saute for another few minutes until warm. Blend in a blender/food processor. Return the blended beetroot mixture to the pan, along with the remaining chunks of beetroot and cook for a few minutes until warm. Stir in the lemon juice to taste, and season with salt and pepper. Cook the pasta until al dente, drain, then stir the pasta into the sauce. Serve hot topped with grated parmesan, toasted walnuts and finely chopped parsley or basil.