Fagan Eats Paleo Recipe: Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Cilantro Pesto

In keeping with my healthy recipe theme, I have a new veggie recipe for you today--one of my most favorite ever:  Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Cilantro Pesto.  

I almost hate to admit it, but this recipe was a happy accident.  You see, I got these carrots from the veggie delivery service I like to use, Imperfect Produce.  This week, they delivered some rainbow carrots.  You might be surprised to learn this, but i' not the biggest fan of like carrots.  But when I saw these beauties, I knew I had to do something special with them.  

I also wanted the recipe to be simple, so I thought I'd roast them.  When you have good produce, you really don't need to do too much to it to make it taste delicious.   So, how did I reconcile my desire to do something special with these carrots but keep it simple at the same time?  I covered them in a flavorful cilantro pesto sauce.  The carrots and cilantro pesto compliment each other so deliciously, I surprised myself when I first tried it out!  I ran over to my boyfriend with a piping-hot carrot on the end of my fork and forced him to try it while he was playing guitar.  He is a great taste-tester, by the way.  "Wow, what is that!?" was his response.  

Fortunately, I already had the cilantro pesto on hand.  I'd made it a couple days earlier because I had lots of leftover cilantro I didn't want to go bad. When I think it about the randomness that brought this recipe about--some mangled rainbow carrots in my produce box not good enough to sell at the grocery store (but definitely good enough for my tummy and this blog) and a bunch of leftover cilantro I didn't want to waste--I feel really lucky.  Yep.  The circumstances that led to this recipe's creation were a stroke a good luck. 

As usual, this recipe doesn't have a ton of ingredients and is very easy to make.  Hope you all enjoy!

--J

Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Cilantro Pesto

by Jamie Miller

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20-35 minutes

Keywords: bake roast blender appetizer side ancestral gluten-free paleo primal soy-free vegan vegetarian rainbow carrots carrots American fall spring summer winter

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Ingredients

For the Carrots

• 1 bunch of rainbow carrots
• olive oil for roasting (or other fat of choice)
• salt
• pepper

For the Cilantro Pesto

• 2 cups of cilantro (leaves and stems)
• 1/2 cup of walnuts, cashews, pecans or nut of choice
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Peel carrots.

Coat in oil and generously salt and pepper.

Lay out flat on a roasting pan and roast for 20 to 35 minutes (depending on thickness of carrots), turning halfway through. Roast until still firm but tender enough to put a fork through.

While carrots are roasting, put the pesto ingredients into a food processor, and process until combined.

When the carrots are finished roasting, pull out of the oven and toss in a tablespoon or two of the cilantro pesto.

There will be leftover cilantro pesto that can be used to add flavor to soups or meats.

Hope you enjoy!

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