This pesto pasta is made with a garlicky arugula pesto, sweet balsamic roasted beets, and toasted pine nuts! It has tons of flavor and it's a fantastic, easy, and satisfying meatless meal!
Preheat the oven to 400℉. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the beets. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and a light spray of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss. Roast for 20 minutes or until tender and the edges are golden.
Bring a bottle of water to a boil for the pasta. In the meantime, make the pesto. Combine the basil, arugula, parsley, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if desired.
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Once the pasta is cooked and the beets are finished roasting, add the pasta back into the pot and pour over the pesto and toss. Add the roasted beets and toasted pine nuts and toss again. Serve with extra parmesan cheese!
*To toast the pine nuts, place them in a dry skillet over medium heat and watch very carefully, stirring frequently. They can burn super quickly! This should only take a few minutes. Remove from heat immediately once they are golden.