Carrot top pesto is made just like Classic Basil Pesto or any other pesto. A fresh herb, a little raw garlic, some hard grating cheese, some nuts, and a generous amount of really good olive oil are all it takes. Maybe a little salt and pepper to taste. You can go old school and bring these together with a mortar and pestle, or you can blend them up with a food processor in about a minute.
Once you have your carrot top pesto, what do you do with it? The potential is limitless.
- Use it as a garnish for carrot-based dishes, such as Roasted Carrot Risotto or Cream of Roasted Carrot Soup.
- Toss cooked vegetables with it:
- Roasted carrots
- Roasted mixed root vegetables
- Pan Charred Green Beans
- Pan fried potatoes
- Steamed Snap Peas
- …
- The flavor pairs really well with merguez sausage. Can you say pizza? Use carrot top pesto as a base and then merguez and kale as a topping. Or merguez and sautéed onions and sweet red peppers. Or merguez and…
- Season a home made hummus.
- On crostini, with funky taleggio cheese.
- …
Carrot Top Pesto
Carrot top pesto is a great complement to many carrot dishes, and is also flexible enough to be used in many other places.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of carrot tops
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ oz Parmesan cheese freshly grated, divided
- ½ oz pistachios
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Remove any carrot top stems that that have discolored leaves. Cut the tough stems below the carrot leaves and discard. Rinse and dry the leaves.
- Place the carrot top leaves in a food processor along with the garlic, Parmesan cheese, and pistachios. Add a pinch of salt and a couple cranks of the black pepper grinder.
- Pulse these ingredients for about 20-30 seconds. Add 4 ounces of olive oil and pulse for another 20-30 seconds.
Notes
- The exact ratios of ingredients is quite forgiving and flexible. Especially the amount of olive oil. For a thicker pesto, use less oil. For a thinner pesto, use more oil.
- The choice of nuts is flexible. Pine nuts are classic. Pecans, walnuts, almonds or cashews can all substitute for pistachios.
- This pesto freezes well.
- If storing in the refrigerator, flatten the pesto in the storage container and add a layer of olive oil to protect the greens from the oxygen in the air. This aids in preserving the green color of the pesto.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
