Pink pasta with beets, greens, & walnuts

From epicurious, with tweaks :)

1/3 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions, sliced thinly
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch beets with yummy-looking greens; beets peeled, each cut into 8 wedges, greens cut into 1-inch-wide strips
8 ounces whole wheat pasta
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving


Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add walnuts and stir until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons oil and onions to same skillet and sauté until beginning to soften and turn golden, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to sauté until onions are tender and browned, about 30 minutes longer. Add garlic and stir for about 5 minutes. Add greens to pan and cook, turning frequently, until they're bright green. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Meanwhile, cook beets in a pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. (You can also roast them to make them even sweeter, but it's 85 degrees out and I didn't even want to think about turning on the oven!). Using a slotted spoon, transfer beets to medium bowl. Now, you can do one of two things: if you want your pasta to be REALLY pink, you can cook it in the same water you used for the beets. You can also use fresh water, if you only want slightly pink pasta.

Stir onion-greens mixture and beets into pasta and divide into serving bowls. Sprinkle with pine nuts and grated cheese. Revel in the pinkness of your dinner.