Roasted Carrots and Shallots with Parsley Pesto and Capers

These roasted carrots and shallots with earthy pesto are a hearty winter side dish. Great served warm or at room temp.

A bag of carrots is something we all have hanging out in our crisper drawer, right? They’re a staple – part of the fridge’s scenery, almost. We tend to use them as a base for other things. They’re a supporting actor, at best – or more like an extra, lurking in the background. But in this dish, the carrots are Meryl Streep.

This roasted carrot dish is the perfect wintertime side. You’ve got meaty carrots with sweet caramelized shallots, balanced by a tangy, earthy parsley pesto and pops of briny capers. It’s beautiful, colorful, and balanced.

These roasted carrots and shallots are inspired by something I had at Vic’s, an Italian restaurant in NoHo. It was my birthday dinner and my friends and I ordered a bunch of stuff to share.

Now carrots are not something people usually get too jazzed about (see paragraph 1), but I’m telling you, we devoured those things! They were so flavorful and unexpected. Of course, I had to make them at home.

The Technique

Typically, I roast my vegetables on very high heat so they cook quickly and get charred. Here, I start the veg at a lower temp, covered with foil, so they soften first. Then I remove the foil and crank up the heat to get them caramelized.

As much as I love a classic basil pesto, parsley pesto is my go-to for winter. It’s peppery and a little bitter, which complements the carrots’ sweetness. For a vegan pesto, I use miso to get that cheesy, Parmesan-esque taste.

The capers here are key – do not skip them. They add little pops of salty, briny freshness that contrast with the earthy carrots and rich pesto. If capers are not your thing, try chopped green olives instead.

These roasted carrots and shallots can be served warm or at room temperature, and would be great with: this vegan cassoulet, mushroom bourguignon, miso risotto, or white bean puree.

More like this…

• The Best Vegan Pesto
• Shredded Carrot Salad with Coriander and Dill
• Creamy Basil-Spinach Pesto Pasta

Roasted Carrots and Shallots with Parsley Pesto and Capers

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• Author: thenewbaguette.com
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Roasting
• Cuisine: Italian
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Roasted carrots and shallots with parsley pesto are a hearty winter side dish. Great served warm or at room temp!

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Ingredients

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For the Vegetables

• 1 1/4 pounds rainbow or orange carrots (about 6 medium carrots), cut into 3-inch-long spears (See Note 1)
• 1/2 pound shallots (about 5 medium shallots), peeled and cut into 1/3-inch wedges (See Note 2)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 tablespoons drained capers

For the Pesto

• 4 packed cups flat-leaf parsley leaves with tender stems (about 1 medium bunch)
• 3 tablespoons toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons white miso
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
2. Place the carrots and shallots in a 9×13” roasting pan. Add the oil, coriander, garlic, salt, and pepper, and toss to coat evenly. Cover the pan tightly with foil and roast for 15 minutes.
3. Uncover the pan, increase the heat to 425ºF, and continue roasting until the vegetables are soft and caramelized, tossing once halfway through cooking, about 25 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make the pesto. In a food processor, combine the parsley and seeds. Pulse until everything is broken down. Then add the lemon juice, miso, salt, and pepper. With the motor running, stream in the oil and puree until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed.
5. To serve, dollop the vegetables with the pesto and scatter the capers on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Notes

1 – Whenever possible, buy organic carrots. You can skip peeling them (no pesticides!) and reap the nutritional benefits from their skins.
2 – Sometimes people get confused by what counts as one shallot, since individual shallot bulbs can contain either one or two cloves. In this recipe (and most other recipes), one shallot bulb counts as one shallot, regardless of how many cloves are inside.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/6 of the recipe
• Calories: 225
• Fat: 16.3 g
• Carbohydrates: 19 g
• Fiber: 3.8 g
• Protein: 4 g