Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Carrot Top Pesto
Tossed with carrot top pesto, these roasted rainbow carrots are a colorful and easy vegetable side dish. They are approachable for a weeknight dinner while also being exciting enough for a holiday meal.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For carrots
- 2 bunches rainbow carrots (with leafy green tops)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For pesto
- 1 garlic clove peeled
- 1/2 cup packed carrot tops (discard the tough stems)
- 1/2 cup packed parsley leaves
- 1/4 cup roasted pistachios (unsalted or lightly salted), plus more chopped for serving
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lemon, juice
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- To prep the carrots, cut off the leafy tops and peel them. Rinse a generous 1/2 cup of the tops, tough stems discarded, to use in the pesto.
- In large bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons olive oil, honey, cumin, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
- Toss the carrots in the marinade. Then arrange them in a single layer on the prepared pan.
- Roast the carrots for 25-30 minutes, turning over halfway through roasting until tender in the middle and lightly browned.
- While the carrots are in the oven, make the pesto. Combine the garlic, carrot top leaves, parsley, pistachios, parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and lemon juice in a food processor. Finely chop the ingredients. Then with the food processor running, drizzle in 1/3 cup olive oil through the feeder tube until combined.
- On the sheet pan, toss the roasted carrots with half the pesto.
- Arrange the carrots on a serving platter, spooning on more pesto as desired. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios before serving.
Notes
To make the recipe vegan, use maple syrup instead of honey and omit the parmesan or use a dairy-free, plant-based substitute.
You can substitute pistachios with chopped toasted walnuts, almonds or pine nuts.
Keep leftover roasted carrots in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Store the pesto in a separate jar. Reheat the carrots in the microwave or in a 300-degree F oven. Let the pesto sit out at room temperature for 15 minutes, so the oil can turn to liquid again and stir it.
You can chop the carrots and eat them cold in a salad with arugula or spinach and stir in cooked grains such as barley, farro or brown rice.
Nutrition
Calories: 385kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 960mg | Potassium: 724mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 29132IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 167mg | Iron: 2mg