When fall rolls around, I always try to get creative with our harvest, which tends to be abundant at that time. Carrots are one of our girls’ favorite vegetables and they grow wonderfully in our, often harsher, climate. I first made this carrot pesto to accompany a wonderful breakfast dish with sauteed chard, winter squash and an over-easy egg. We all loved it. It is incredibly versatile and comes together in a flash. Serve it on pasta, over potatoes, in a salad or as part of an appetizer. This pesto also freezes well portioned out in ice cube trays or jars.
Carrot and Pumpkin Seed Pesto
This carrot and pumpkin seed pesto is easy to make and incredibly versatile! Serve it on top of some sliced beets or sliced pears as an appetizer, dress your favorite pasta with it or add a dollop on top of an egg for breakfast.
2
Cups10
minutes25
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
1/2 lb carrots, rinsed and scrubbed and cut into one-inch chunks
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
2 Tbsp sunflower seeds
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano, loosely packed (optional)*
1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
juice of 1/2 a lemon (about 1 Tbsp)
1/2 tsp thyme leaves, loosely packed
1/4 tsp fine sea salt (more to taste)
a few cracks of black pepper
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (more if you prefer thinner pesto)
Directions
- To steam the carrots, add two inches of water to a saucepan and place a steamer basket on top. Add the carrots to the steamer basket, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the carrots are fork tender. Remove from the heat and let the carrots cool until safe to handle.
- Add the steamed carrots to a food processor fitted with an S-shaped blade, along with the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, grated pecorino Romano (if using), garlic, lemon juice, thyme leaves, fine sea salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Process until you have a finely chopped mixture. With the food processor on low, slowly drizzle the extra virgin olive oil through the feed tube until fully incorporated. The pesto will have a lightly chunky, yet smooth texture.
- Store pesto in an airtight glass container in the fridge for 4-5 days or in the freezer (ice cube trays work well) for 3-4 months.
Notes
- *You can leave out the pecorino for a vegan pesto. It will be just as delicious.
