Roasted Carrots with Carrot Top Pumpkin Seed Pesto and Goat Cheese

With the holidays approaching, thinking of side dishes to prepare for different gatherings is typically on your mind. Something easy, appetizing, and delicious is the criteria I use when deciding on a recipe. These Roasted Carrots with Carrot Top Pumpkin Seed Pesto and Goat Cheese check all those boxes, and are sure to impress family and friends at your next holiday party!

This dish is great because it supports the zero waste movement, utilizing the carrot top stems and leaves to create a delicious pesto. This pesto is herby, garlicky, and citrusy, and can be used in various other dishes for a unique twist on the regular basil pesto. Paired with the sweetness of the roasted carrots, this combination is perfection!

Most supermarkets have organic bunches of carrots in the produce section, which usually still have the stems on. I recommend using one bunch of the organic carrots, stems on, and one bunch without stems for easier preparation. The one bunch will provide plenty of carrot top leaves to make the pesto.

Not only is this dish beautiful, it is clean and healthy, providing plenty of nutrients. For example, carrot tops are rich in protein, minerals, and contain six times the Vitamin C of the actual carrot root! Additionally, pumpkin seeds contain healthy fats, fibers, and antioxidants that are good for the heart. So, instead of feeling lethargic from all the sugar and fat traditionally found in holiday foods, feel happy and energized from this yummy dish!

Roasted Carrots with carrot top pumpkin seed pesto and goat cheese

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 bunches of medium-sized carrots, about 16 carrots

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Salt, to taste

• Pepper, to taste

• 1/3 cup of goat cheese, crumbled

• Handful of pumpkin seeds

• Red pepper chili flakes, optional

For the Pesto

• 2 cups carrot top leaves, rinsed and loosely packed

• 1/2 cup parsley, rinsed and loosely packed

• 1 garlic clove

• 1/3 cup of pumpkin seeds

• 1/2 lemon, juiced

• 1/8 cup olive oil

• 1/8 cup water

• 1/2 tbsp cumin

• 1/2 tsp of salt, or to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Rinse and peel carrots and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Add olive oil, salt and pepper, and coat carrots evenly.

3. Roast for 30-40 minutes (depending on your oven), flipping halfway through.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the pesto. Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend for about 1 minute, scrapping sides every 10 or so seconds. Set aside.

5. Once carrots are done and tender with a fork, transfer to a serving dish.

6. Add desired amount of pesto over the carrots with a spoon.

7. Top with crumbled goat cheese, pumpkin seeds, and red pepper chili flakes. Serve immediately.