“This recipe shines when you use a variety of carrots with different colors and flavors,” says Jeremy Sewall, chef and owner of Row 34 and Island Creek Oyster Bar. Try to get all your carrots to be around the same size so that they cook evenly: If you have smaller ones, use a few extras and don’t peel them (wash them well instead). If some carrots are larger, cut them down to your desired size.

Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients (for carrots)
24 young carrots with leafy tops
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

Ingredients (for pesto)
½ cup basil
¼ cup Italian parsley leaves
¼ cup finely grated parmesan (plus extra for garnish)
Olive oil from roasted carrots (see above), plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts (plus a few extra for garnish)
1 large garlic clove
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

►Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

►Trim all but about 3 inches of the carrot leaves off, carefully peel, and rinse under cold water. Place carrots on a baking sheet, drizzle olive oil over the top, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

►Roast in the oven for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the carrot. The carrot should be cooked through but not so soft that the top falls or pulls off easily.

►Once carrots cool, pour the oil left on the pan into a container to use for the pesto. Set carrots aside.

►Add basil, parsley, pine nuts, garlic, and parmesan to a food processor. (Don’t forget to set aside a small handful of pine nuts and parmesan for garnish.)

►Turn on the food processor and drizzle in the oil; as it collects, it will start to spin the ingredients. Add just enough oil to let everything move; too much will end up in a pesto that is loose.

►Season mixture with salt and pepper—but taste quickly before you do, as the carrot oil will have salt in it and parmesan is naturally salty.

►To assemble, reheat the carrots in the oven. Spread the pesto onto a plate and lay the warm carrots over pesto. Garnish with reserved pine nuts and parmesan.

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