Carrot Greens Pesto

Don’t waste those carrot tops, make pesto with them! Garlicky, cheesy and rich with toasted pine nuts, carrot greens pesto is a delicious way to take advantage of an ingredient many people cut off and throw away. 

Sometimes I buy carrots in the organic section of the supermarket (or at a farmer’s market) just so I’ll also have the greens to make pesto. It makes me feel virtuous to use something that many people don’t, but best of all, it’s wonderful and fresh. 

On that same subject and nothing to do with this recipe, but did you know you can also eat the greens from beets? I sauté them with garlic and a little olive oil, sprinkle of salt and they are so good! And I get to feel virtuous again. 

Carrot Greens Pesto

My greens were from seven carrots, as you can see in the photos but if you have a bit more or less, it’s still all good. I roasted the carrots and served them with pesto on top for an all-carrot dish. The leftover pesto was fabulous stirred through linguine, always my first choice pasta shape. 

Ingredients

1 cup, packed, or 30g carrot greens, leafy parts only, no stems

Scant 1/3 cup or 50g pine nuts

3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup or 60ml olive oil

1/3 cup or 30g freshly grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Method

Toast the pine nuts in a dry non-stick skillet. This doesn't take long, just a few minutes. Keep shaking the pan so they don't burn. 

Cut the ferny ends of the carrot greens off, leaving the harder stems behind. 

Stuff them in your small food processor and add the other ingredients except the Parmesan. 

Process until smooth. Add the Parmesan. Process again. 

Like all pesto, it’s that easy. 

Chill until ready to use. Put some pasta on to boil or roast the accompanying carrots. Pat yourself on the back and feel virtuous. One less item for the compost or trash bin. 

Bonus recipe: Roast Carrots 

Not really a recipe, but here you go. This is how I do it. 

Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C. 

Pop the scrubbed carrots in a small pan and drizzle them with olive oil. 

Roast the carrots in your preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until they are lovely and a little sticky and a fork pokes into them easily. You might want to give them a shake halfway through if your oven doesn't heat evenly all round. 

Top them with the carrot greens pesto and serve warm. 

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing recipes for homemade sauces. Many thanks to our host Amy of Amy’s Cooking Adventures. Check out all the links below: 

• Nasturtium Pesto by Cook with Renu
• Buffalo Chicken Sauce by Palatable Pastime
• Homemade Marinara Sauce by Sneha's Recipe
• Carrot Greens Pesto by Food Lust People Love
• Rockfish with Cajun Butter Sauce by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Stir-Fried Squid in Black Bean Sauce by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Parsley Walnut Pesto by Mayuri's Jikoni
• Pineapple BBQ Sauce by Amy's Cooking Adventures

 

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