Carrot Top Pesto (Edit recipe)

My infatuation for pesto comes from a deep love of dipping sauces, gravies and other delicious finishing touches to otherwise one-note dishes. This Carrot Top Pesto also fits right into my goal of reducing food waste in my own kitchen. While I might have thrown the leafy green parts of carrots into the compost or trash in years past, these days I do my best to use up as much of the veggies I have as possible. The pesto can freeze well in individual cubes for later use, and it mixes in well with mayonnaise for a French fry dipping sauce, too!

10 minutes

Difficulty:

Easy

Show nutritional information

This is our estimate based on online research.
Calories:	215
Fat:	18 g
Carbohydrates:	5 g
Protein:	2 g
Cholesterol:	0 g
Sodium:	104 mg
Fiber:	1 g
Sugars:	0 g
Calculated for total recipe.

by Reed Dunn

View original recipe

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

2-3 cups Carrot Top Greens, (from 1 bunch carrots)
.5 cup Parsley, fresh
1 clove Garlic
.25 cup Pine Nuts
1 Lemon
.25 cup Olive Oil
.25 tsp Kosher Salt
.125 tsp Black Pepper

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Process

Cook Mode

Note, these instructions are written assuming the standard serving size, since you have modified the number of servings, these steps may need to be modified for best results

Add pine nuts and garlic clove to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 8 to 10 times to start breaking down and forming a paste.
Tear up the carrot tops, using mostly the leafy portion, into the bowl of the food processor. Add in fresh parsley. Put lid back on and run on low until the mixture is well combined.
Zest 1 lemon into the food processor, and squeeze the juice from 1/2 the lemon into the bowl. Reserve the other lemon half for another use. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
With food processor running on low, drizzle olive oil into the top until desired texture is reached. Start with 1/4 cup olive oil and add up to 1/2 cup total, as needed. I prefer a slightly thicker paste for this pesto variation.