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Halved Carrots with Castelvetrano Olive Pesto
It doesn’t take much to help beautiful, in-season carrots shine.
Cook them just until tender-crisp, then finish them off with a drizzle-able pesto that uses briny olives and a handful of parsley. For an extra hit of bright, fresh flavor, carrot fronds are sprinkled over top.
How to Make It
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives, torn in half, divided
- ½ cup roughly chopped parsley, with tender stems
- ¼ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove, peeled
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to garnish
- ⅛ to ¼ tsp kosher salt, if needed
- 8 medium carrots, fronds reserved for garnish
Instructions
- To the bowl of a food processor, add ¾ cups olives, parsley, Parmigiano-Reggiano, lemon juice, and garlic. Season generously with black pepper. Pulse until finely chopped, scraping down sides if needed. With the motor running, slowly stream in oil. Continue processing until pesto is fully emulsified. Season with salt, if needed. Set aside.
- Boil a large pot of salted water. Peel carrots and trim tops to ½-inch. Cut lengthwise in half, leaving any slender carrots whole so they are consistent in size. Add carrots to boiling water and cook just until tender-crisp, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a platter. Spoon over half the pesto. Drizzle with additional oil, if desired. Sprinkle over remaining ¼ cup olives and reserved fronds. Season with black pepper. Serve immediately with remaining pesto.
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