Move over basil pesto, carrot tops make a wonderfully herby alternative to mix up your routine. Genovese-style pesto, made with basil, pine nuts, and pecorino or parmesan cheese, is the most well-known. However, there are many styles across Italy, from Sicilian Pesto alla Trapanese to a more modern Red Pesto made with sun dried tomatoes. Basically, if you can crush it, you can make pesto! There’s no shortage of recipes to use fresh carrots, from Roasted Carrot Soup to Moroccan-Style Carrot Salad. But the question of what to do with carrot tops strikes me every year thanks to an overabundance of carrots in our garden and the desire to cut back on kitchen waste. To solve this conundrum, my family started making carrot top pesto. With its naturally sweeter taste, I found my young kids preferred this over traditional pesto on their pasta! It’s also dairy-free, making it a delicious alternative for vegetarians and vegans. You can use this Carrot Top Pesto in place of many dishes that call for basil pesto. Try it on pasta, chicken, or pesto salmon and other seafood, or, yes, even spooned over roasted carrots! You may find this milder pesto becoming your new go-to as well.
Carrot Top Pesto Ingredients
Carrot Top Pesto relies on just a few ingredients for a flavorful sauce. It’s best to make this with the freshest carrots available to you.
Carrot tops: Carrot tops have a peppery, sweet flavor to them, very much like carrots! The fresher the better–discard any wilted or brown fronds. Pistachios: Roasted or raw will work in this recipe. Pistachios add a subtle and sweet nuttiness to the pesto. Choose unsalted, as the salt content can vary from brand to brand. Garlic: I like one clove, but if you want a little more garlic kick you can increase to a second clove. Just keep in mind that too much garlic can overwhelm the nuanced flavor of the carrot tops. Lemon juice: Brightens, balances, and keeps the pesto a vibrant green. Use freshly squeezed lemon for optimal flavor. Olive oil: fruity, buttery olive oil incorporates all the ingredients together and turns them into a mixture. Don’t use a mild neutral oil, as olive oil is an ingredient that will shine through and you want something with a fuller flavor. READ MORE: How to Taste Olive Oil: A Step-By-Step Guide to Go From the Basics to the Pros. RECOMMENDED FOR THIS RECIPE: Buttery-smooth Italian Nocellara. Kosher salt: Because this pesto is cheese-free, you might notice you need slightly more salt than what you see in a basil pesto. Always adjust to taste.
How to Make Carrot Top Pesto
Making Carrot Top Pesto requires minimal prep. In fact, if you’re used to making your pesto, this is pretty similar! And, if you do not have a food processor or blender, this pesto can be hand-chopped and mixed for a chunkier version, or ground in a large mortar and pestle. Here are the steps:
Prep the carrot tops. Remove the tops from 2 bunches of carrots, discarding any tough stems and wilted leaves. Thoroughly wash the carrot tops and pat them dry. Pulse to make a paste. Add 1 garlic clove and 1/2 cup of pistachios into the food processor and pulse a few times to break them up. Add the carrot tops and 2 teaspoons lemon juice and pulse for 30 seconds. Make a sauce. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt. With the food processor on low, drizzle in 1/2 cup olive oil. Use the pesto right away, or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
How to Store Carrot Top Pesto
To store your Carrot Top Pesto, keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week. You can also freeze the pesto whole, or portion out cubes in an ice cube tray for smaller amounts. I find that adding a light layer of olive oil to the top of the pesto when freezing helps prevent freezer burn and keeps the pesto a brighter green.
Ways to Mix it Up
While this Carrot Top Pesto is delicious as-is, here are a few ways to swap and substitute ingredients to make in your kitchen.
Swap out half the carrot tops with a variety of other greens. Basil, parsley, and cilantro work for herbs. You could also swap half with arugula or spinach, although I find sometimes that can add a slight bitter taste. Like the cheesiness of Genovese-style pesto? 1/2 cup of finely grated parmesan cheese will give you some of that sharpness, but remember to cut back on the salt in the recipe as hard cheese can sometimes be very salty. Want to try another nut? This recipe can be swapped 1:1 with unsalted, roasted cashews or raw walnuts. If you can only find salted nuts at your grocery store, hold back on the salt in the recipe then taste and adjust as necessary. Try other varieties of pesto, like Pesto Alla Trapanese (Sicilian Almond Pesto).
What to Serve with Carrot Top Pesto
You can use Carrot Top Pesto in place of many recipes that call for a basil-style pesto. The bright peppery, lemony base pairs well with fish, chicken, pasta and vegetable dishes. Here are a few more ideas for using this pesto recipe:
Pasta is the go-to pick for pesto. Toss with Potato Gnocchi, Ricotta Gnocchi, spaghetti or a farfalle-style pasta with a few spoonfuls of pasta water for an easy dish. Spoon the Carrot Top Pesto over meat, like this whole roast chicken. Pesto doesn’t always have to be a sauce! Use it as a spread for sandwiches, mix it with Aioli for a creamy dip, or try it in this Pita Grilled Cheese! Carrots! Roast the carrots and use the Carrot Top Pesto as a sauce.
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