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Roasted Carrots with Basil and Carrot Top Pesto

Roasting carrots brings out their natural sweetness; when topped with a tangy pesto made with the parsley-like carrot tops it makes for a perfect seasonal side dish.

Cook Time
mins
Total Time
30 mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 16 16 oz carrots with greens (from 1 large bunch, about 12-14 small-ish carrots)
  • olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For Pesto:
  • 1 ½ 1 ½ cups lightly packed carrot greens large stems removed
  • 1 1 cup lightly packed basil leaves
  • 4 4 large garlic cloves coarsely chopped
  • 2 2 tablespoons pine nuts lightly toasted (plus more for topping, if desired)
  • 1 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 1 teaspoon honey
  • ½ ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ½ ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large baking sheet with olive oil.
  2. Remove greens from carrots and set aside. Cut larger carrots in half lengthwise; leave smaller ones whole (ideally all your carrots should be equal diameter to ensure even cooking).
  3. Spread on baking sheet, drizzle generously with more olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss with your hands until evenly coated, then spread out and arrange carrots in an even layer, cut sides down, without any carrots overlapping.
  4. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes (slightly longer if your carrots are on the large side), until fork tender and lightly browned on the bottoms.
  5. Meanwhile, to prepare pesto, combine carrot greens, basil, garlic, pine nuts, vinegar and honey in a food processor or blender. Pulse a few times until greens are evenly chopped into small pieces.
  6. With the processor running on low, slowly drizzle in olive oil until evenly mixed. Transfer to a bowl and serve alongside roasted carrots, plus extra pine nuts or torn basil leaves as desired.