Maple-Roasted Carrots with Carrot-Top Pesto

1 made it | 1 reviews | 1 photos

Recipe by: Betty Soup

"Maple-roasted carrots are drizzled with a pesto made from carrot top greens, parsley, and almonds, resulting in a standout side dish that's vegetarian to boot."

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Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Scrub carrots very well and trim, leaving an inch of the green tops attached and reserving greens. Halve any large carrots lengthwise. Arrange in a shallow, foil-lined roasting pan. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/4 cup maple syrup. Season with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
Roast in the preheated oven until tender, stirring once or twice, about 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, wash and trim 1 1/2 cups of reserved carrot greens. Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add greens; cook until just wilted, about 30 seconds. Drain and immediately plunge into a bowl of ice water. Remove and blot dry on paper towels.
Combine carrot greens, parsley, Parmesan cheese, almonds, lemon zest, garlic, and remaining 1 teaspoon maple syrup in a food processor. Pulse to chop. With machine running, drizzle in olive oil until well combined. Season pesto with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Drizzle roasted carrots with a little pesto and serve remaining pesto on the side.

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Footnotes

Cook's Note:
Alternatively, you can trim and roast the carrots, make the pesto, and cover and chill them separately up to 2 days ahead. On serving day, let pesto soften at room temperature for 30 minutes, then heat carrots through in a 325 degree F (160 degree C) oven.