Bright orange carrots are roasted until sweet and tender and topped with a creamy and tangy pesto made from arugula, walnuts, garlic and red wine vinegar for a pop of freshness and acidity. The sweet carrots and vibrant pesto are a perfect pairing. This dish not only delicious, but beautiful too.
To start, preheat the oven to 400 deg F. Wash and trim the ends off of eight large carrots and slice in half lengthwise. Place the carrots on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt. Toss the carrots to coat. Roast the carrots for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time.
While the carrots roast, wash three cups of baby arugula and place in a food processor along with ½ cup of raw walnuts and one clove of garlic. Pulse the food processor until the arugula is finely chopped. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula and pulse some more. When the arugula is very finely chopped, add in ⅛ cup of olive oil, ⅛ cup of cold water, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and one tablespoon of red wine vinegar. Process until smooth.
To plate, layer the carrots onto a platter, then spoon the pesto over top. Garnish with a pinch of chopped walnuts if desired. Enjoy!
Roasted Carrots with Arugula-Walnut Pesto
Ingredients
- 8 large carrots
- 3 cups baby arugula
- ½ cup raw walnuts
- 1 clove garlic
- ⅛ cup olive oil
- ⅛ cup cold water
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 400°F.
- Wash and trim the ends off of eight large carrots and slice in half lengthwise.
- Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt. Toss the carrots to coat.
- Roast the carrots for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking process.
- While the carrots roast, make the pesto. Add the arugula, walnuts and garlic to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pulse again.
- Next, add the olive oil, water, salt and red wine vinegar to the food processor and pulse until the pesto is smooth.
- To serve, scatter the carrots onto a large platter and top with spoonfuls of pesto. Garnish the carrots with a pinch of chopped walnuts if desired. Enjoy!
