Chin up princess or the crown slips.
At a young age, my father told me that I am, in fact, a real princess. Of course, being rather impressionable on anything that suited my purpose, I believed it. I carried on with my life believing I was a royal princess and everyone around were my objects… Needless to say, I was in trouble quite often. Thankfully for everyone, my mother has always strictly (and dedicatedly) let my crown slip off.
But every now and then, my childhood natural instinct of being a blue blood returns and I turn obnoxiously difficult. And I have to remind myself: even princesses have got to learn to fend for themselves!
As my house is constantly buzzing with activity and hectic travel schedules, there are nights where I have dinner alone. On those nights it’s so easy (and tempting) to order take out, eat cereal, or an omelette and call it a night. Cooking for one is something that can be incredibly enjoyable, and once you give it a shot a few times, you will find the process extremely therapeutic. They say the greatest test of confidence is being able to eat alone. I have far passed that test a long time ago! Dining on your own means you are “free from bullshit food shame, from other people’s boring diet restrictions, from small talk… and most importantly, from compromise.” An intriguing article to read on this: https://munchies.vice.com/en/articles/why-having-the-balls-to-dine-alone-makes-you-a-better-human
Okay, so what’s the link between being a princess and eating alone? It’s this pretty pink pesto, with the exact proportions for one, incredibly easy to make and just fitting for a princess!
The beetroot pesto can be made all year round, without any worries about trying to source good fresh basil leaves. It’s a vivid shade of pink, with such a wonderful deep taste.
Half a beetroot is boiled and crushed with garlic, onions, lots of herbs, some nuts… and that’s it! Stir in a few spoons of milk and pasta water, and garnish with feta cheese, fresh basil, pumpkin seeds and a glug of extra virgin olive oil. It really isn’t much of a trouble for a princess!
The Recipe
Serves Serves: 1 | Prep Time: 30 mins | Cook Time: 20 mins
Ingredients
- 1 cup boiled pasta or spaghetti
- ¼ cup pasta water
- 4 tbsp milk
- ½ boiled beet
- 4-5 cloves of garlic
- 4-5 walnuts
- 2 tbsp dried herbs (basil, thyme, parsley)
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tsp feta cheese
- Fresh basil leaves
- Pumpkin seeds
- Salt + pepper
Instructions
- Place the beets, walnuts, onions and garlic in a processor with the dried herbs.
- Grind the mixture to create a coarse texture.
- Transfer the mixture into a pan on medium heat.
- Stir to cook and add the pasta water and milk and let simmer.
- Stir in the pasta.
- The sauce should coat the pasta well.
- Add salt and pepper.
- Serve hot.
- Garnish with fresh basil leaves, feta cheese, pumpkin seeds and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
