Roasted Beetroot with Whipped Ricotta and Pesto

We grow our own beetroot which means that I don't always get uniform sizes when it comes to harvest time. I get ones as teeny as babies dummies (pacifiers) and some as big as my head... or your head, which ever's biggest.  I get ones that are slightly misshapen and ones with strange bumps and clefts. When it comes to strange bumps and clefts, I think I've cornered the market - no wisecracks!

Roasted Beetroot with Whipped Ricotta and Pesto

Serves 4

800g baby beetroot (cut any larger ones in half or quarters)

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Extra Virgin Olive oil

250g fresh ricotta

Juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Sea Salt flakes

Freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons fresh basil pesto (I used home made pesto, recipe here, or use excellent quality store-bought)

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.

Wash and scrub the beets clean. Dry and put them on a shallow baking tray. Drizzle with a little olive oil and cover the tray tightly with foil. Roast for 45 minutes - 1 hour, until tender when pierced with a fork. Let them cool a little so that you are able to handle them and peel. The skins should easly slip off. Put the beets in a serving bowl. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper.

Put the ricotta and lemon juice and zest and a glug of olive oil into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the whipped ricotta on top of the beetroot and finish with a dollop of pesto and an extra drizzle of olive oil.