Ella Mills’ creamy beetroot and walnut spaghetti recipe

“This bright pink spaghetti is a real winner,” says Ella Mills, the food writer and founder of Deliciously Ella.

“The mix of walnuts, pine nuts and white beans gives it a lovely texture, the coconut milk makes it beautifully creamy. The beets bring the colour, and the garlic and parsley really add to the flavour. The result is sweet and mild, almost like a korma sauce.”

Creamy beetroot and walnut spaghetti recipe

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

100g walnuts

50g pine nuts

300g cooked beetroot, drained, peeled and roughly chopped

25g flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

3tbsp olive oil

1 red onion, finely sliced

1 garlic clove, finely sliced

1 × 400g tin of small white beans (cannellini or haricot), drained

200ml tinned coconut milk, shaken well to disperse the cream

Lemon juice, to taste

4 servings of spaghetti or other long pasta (75g per person)

Method:

1. Toast the walnuts and pine nuts in a dry frying pan over a high heat until the pine nuts are golden, then transfer to a food processor along with the beetroot, parsley, two tablespoons of the olive oil and a good pinch of salt. Blitz until you have a thick purée.

2. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large casserole and fry the onion for five to seven minutes, until soft. Stir in the garlic and fry for another minute.

3. Transfer the beetroot purée to the pan along with the beans and coconut milk and mix everything together. Bring to the boil and simmer for a couple of minutes to heat everything through.

4. Check the seasoning then stir in lemon juice to taste.

5. Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the pack, then drain well and return to the pan.

How To Go Plant-Based: A Definitive Guide For You And Your Family by Ella Mills is published by Yellow Kite, priced £26. Photography by Clare Winfield. Available August 18.