Spicy Carrot Top Pesto
- 15m Prep Time
- 0sCook Time
- 15m Ready In
About 1 cup If you purchase carrots that still have fresh greens attached, try making this pesto. Use as a sandwich spread, slather on toast with sliced tomatoes and avocado, or thin it out with more oil and lemon juice to make a quick sauce for vegetables.
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch carrots
- ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano, Manchego, or Parmesan (2 ounces)
- ⅓ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
- 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
- ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
- (½ teaspoon Espelette, Urfa, or Marash chile flakes)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
- 1 large bunch carrots
- ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano, Manchego, or Parmesan (2 ounces)
- ⅓ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
- 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
- ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
- (½ teaspoon Espelette, Urfa, or Marash chile flakes)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
Trim the tops from: 1 large bunch carrots
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Step 2.
Pick the frond-like leaves from the tough stems and discard the stems. Measure the leaves. You should have about 2 packed cups. If not, you can fill out the rest with fresh parsley leaves or simply make a half-batch of this recipe. Place the leaves in a food processor along with: ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano, Manchego, or Parmesan (2 ounces); ⅓ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted; 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped; ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste; (½ teaspoon Espelette, Urfa, or Marash chile flakes); ¼ teaspoon salt
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Step 3.
Process to a coarse paste. With the machine running, slowly add: ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
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Step 4.
Use within 1 week.