Carrot Top Pesto
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 283kcal
This vibrant Carrot Top Pesto is a fresh, flavorful twist on the classic pesto sauce - made with leafy carrot tops, fresh basil, parmesan, olive oil, lemon juice, and toasted pine nuts. It’s zesty, herbaceous, and comes together in a matter of minutes! Toss it with al dente pasta, spread it on sandwiches, or spoon it over roasted veggies, grilled meat, and so much more!
Print Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup carrot tops tough stems removed and coarsely chopped
- 1 cup basil leaves
- ⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts or walnuts or cashews
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine carrot tops, basil leaves, parmesan, pine nuts, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper in a food processor and process until very finely minced.
- With the machine running slowly drizzle in the olive oil and process until the mixture is smooth.
- Add the lemon juice and pulse to just combine.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Notes
Storing
- Store this carrot top pesto in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Add a drizzle of olive oil on top to maintain freshness and prevent the minced basil from browning.
- If you’d like to store this pesto for longer, pour the leftover sauce into ice cube trays or silicone molds, and allow them to freeze solid in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer the pesto cubes to a ziplock bag to store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Easily adjust the flavor of this pesto with subtle changes to the ingredients. An extra garlic clove will offer a bolder savory flavor and more parmesan (about 1-2 tablespoons) will create a cheesier version.
- Top your leftover carrot top pesto with a thin layer of olive oil before storing in the fridge or freezer. This helps to stop the minced greens from browning.
- Use toasted nuts for a deeper flavor profile. You can also use raw pine nuts instead. Roasted or caramelized garlic is another simple yet highly effective way to add layers of umami taste to this carrot top pesto.
- Freeze excess basil. If you have more basil in the kitchen than you can make pesto with, don’t worry! Do yourself a favor and check out my guide on how to freeze basil to preserve it for months.
- Make other dishes. Combine your pesto with other ingredients to make entirely new dishes, such as Homemade Pesto Mayo, Pesto Couscous, or Pesto Crusted Salmon.
- Use different herbs - Swap the basil for another fresh green like kale, parsley, arugula, or even spinach in a pinch.
- Try other types of nuts - Substitute the pine nuts for walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, or pistachios.
- Go nut-free - Make this pesto recipe nut-free by using seeds (hemp hearts or sunflower seeds) instead of nuts. You could also add volume with extra basil and oil.
- Blend with another acid - Swap out the fresh lemon juice for another acidic liquid, such as white or apple cider vinegar.
- Make it vegan-friendly - Add nutritional yeast into the mixture instead of freshly grated parmesan.
- Turn it into a different condiment - Add some creamy mayo to the mix and you instantly have Homemade Pesto Mayo!
Nutrition
Calories: 283kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 135mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 385IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 165mg | Iron: 2mg