Roasted Carrots & Beets + Carrot-Top Pesto
This week our CSA members are receiving beautiful bunches of beets and carrots (along with many other seasonal gems!) and I couldn’t wait to prepare this lovely platter of roasted roots. We tossed the veggies in some oil and a touch of honey before roasting them until tender. They got tossed in a carrot-top and parsley pesto which was made even more delicious with the addition of Marcona almonds. I don’t buy Marcona almonds often (they’re quite expensive) but they are a total treat and were absolutely worth the pretty penny for this salad. This is a great dish to whip up if you are expecting company or you’re in charge of a side dish to bring to a party. If you can’t find carrots with their tops still in tact go ahead and just add extra parsley instead.
Also- if you want to make this a complete meal, try boiling up some pasta noodles and serve the hot pasta with the pesto and roasted veggies–we did this with leftovers and it was divine! Anyhow, however you choose to serve this dish, it’s the fresh flavors of the season that are the show stoppers so you really can’t go wrong!
Cheers from Tumbleweed Farm!
Honey-Roasted Carrots & Beets with Carrot-Top & Marcona Almond Pesto
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Serves: 4
Pesto- 1 cup carrots leaves (from about 1 small bunch of carrots)
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup marcona almonds
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt to taste
- 1 bunch of carrots, tops removed and sliced in half lengthwise
- 1 bunch of beets, tops removed (save for another use) and cut into 1/2 inch wedges
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup lightly toasted and chopped marcona almonds for serving
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 425F
- Roughy chopped the carrot tops and parsley. Add the greens to a food processor along with the almonds and garlic. Process until a smooth paste forms. With the motor running add the lemon juice and olive oil. Season to taste with salt (if you’re almonds were pre-salted add less!)
- In a large bowl toss the chopped carrots and beets with the oil and honey. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast until the veggies are fork tender and lightly browned. About 25-30 minutes. Toss halfway through cooking.
- Place the veggies on a platter and drizzle with the pesto, chopped almonds and additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
*Use this recipe as a guide *Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary *Cooking times will vary from kitchen to kitchen
Made this tonight, wife loved it and I have leftover pesto for roasted potatoes tomorrow. Will make again for sure!