Carrot Tops Basil Pesto Easy Delicious

It’s quite by accident that I am featuring a recipe for Carrot Tops Basil Pesto today. You see I can be a dumb gardener at times. In my haste to get some carrot seeds into the garden I did not quite spread the seeds far enough apart. Truth is I didn’t even try. It was an outdated package of seeds and I had no expectations of any of the seeds germinating. I just tore open the seed packet, shook it over some dirt and hoped to get a couple of carrots.

Ha! The joke is on me. Hundreds of seeds germinated and it was clear there would be no carrots unless I thinned the heard. As I pulled, the carrots tops emitted the most lovely fragrance. My nose advised my mouth to take a bite of the lush greenery and the rest is history. Fresh pesto coming up.

Needless to say, this carrot tops concoction is delicious on pizza, pasta and sandwiches. I simply tossed all the ingredients into a food processor including a few things that you might not find typical to pesto. Since carrot tops are light and sweet I knew I would need to balance them out. While roasted pistachio nuts added a rich texture, a little fresh lemon juice added a bright acidity to make the perfect blend.

Carrot Tops Basil Pesto

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• Author: Lisa Keys
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 1 cup 1x

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Description

carrot tops basil pesto is easy delicious on pizza, pasta or as a sandwich spread

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

1 clove garlic

1 cup packed carrot tops including stems

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons roasted pistachio nuts

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (or to your desired consistency)

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Instructions

1. In food processor with metal blade, drop garlic through feed tube while processor is running. Add carrot tops, basil and nuts; pulse until chopped. Add lemon juice, cheese and salt; pulse until mixed in. With processor running add enough oil to create a smooth paste.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Category: healthy
• Method: food processor
• Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: fresh pesto, carrot tops, condiment, Italian food, gardening mishap

Now, if you are not a gardener and wondering where to get fresh carrot tops…head to your nearest farm stand or organic grocer. You may never make the classic pesto again.