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Spicy Carrot Top Pesto

Spicy Carrot Top Pesto

Cuisine:Italian

Course:Sauce

15m prep 0s cook 15m ready

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

Servings:
  • 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

  1. Step 1.

    Trim the tops from: 1 large bunch carrots

  2. 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

  3. Step 3.

    Process to a coarse paste. With the machine running, slowly add: ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  4. Step 4.

    Use within 1 week.

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