Last week, my farmers market haul included a beautiful bunch of carrots with full fresh stems attached. It felt CRIMINAL to remove them and only eat the carrots, so I immediately brainstormed ways to use the carrot tops. In my mind, all herbs & leafy greens = PESTO. As for the carrots themselves, I pondered making carrot pasta but then decided to keep it super simple and celebrate the beauty of the produce without doing much to it.
So, I landed on this recipe for whole roasted carrots with a carrot-top pesto over creamy Greek yogurt. The combination of the warm, sweet, tender carrots with a cooling, creamy tang of yogurt, finished with a bright, nutty, and zesty pesto, was more than I could have dreamed of. Needless to say, this recipe was a knockout, and I am so excited to share it with you…It is my new favorite carrot dish!
Without further to do, let’s get into the recipe….. Full PDF printout at the bottom
Roasted Carrots w/ Carrot Top Pesto
Ingredients:
1 lb whole carrots with the carrot tops intact (can sub parsley for stems if needed)
Olive oil, for drizzling
Salt & Pepper
1/4 cup sliced toasted almonds
1 clove garlic
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pecorino cheese, freshly grated
3 tbsp full-fat Greek yogurt
Steps:
Preheat the oven to 425 F.
Remove the carrot tops and set aside, leaving 1/2 inch of the stem on the carrots. Wash the carrots very well, removing all the dirt from the skin. Dry them off, then add them to a sheet tray along with a drizzle of olive oil and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Toss to coat, then place into the oven for 25-30 minutes, turning halfway, until the carrots are golden brown and easily pierced with a knife.
While the carrots cook, make the pesto. Rinse and dry the carrot tops well. Roughly chop about 1 cup of the greens. To a food processor, add the almonds, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. Pulse to combine into an even consistency. Then, add the carrot tops and slowly stream in the olive oil until it all comes together. Stir in the pecorino cheese until smooth. Taste to adjust seasoning.
To plate it, smear the Greek yogurt onto the bottom of the plate. Place the roasted carrots on top and drizzle generously with the pesto.
ENJOY!!!
Here is a PDF printout version for you:
As always, if you have any questions, feel free to ask! And if you recreate this beauty, please take pictures and share them with me!!! I LOVE to see your recreations ❤️