Last summer, Dan came across a lovely bunch of leafy, Parisian carrots from Claverach Farm and could not bear to let the greens go to waste. Not wanting a salad, his mind wandered to a pasta sauce or a purée.
A leafy purée that becomes a sauce is nothing but a pesto, and that’s how this light, summery entree evolved. Blanching the green tops of the carrots brings out their milder notes and gives the pesto a bright color. When Dan cut off the green tops from the carrot root, he kept as much of the stem attached to the leafy tops as possible. That created a handle to allow for easy washing, blanching and shocking of the leaves before processing them into pesto.
Carrot-top Pesto with Pasta
6 servings
4 tsp. kosher salt, divided, plus additional for seasoning
1 cup pine nuts
2 bunches baby carrots with green tops attached
8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 lemon, juice and zest
1 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus additional oil for finishing, if desired
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1½ cups water
Pinch sugar
1 lb. gemelli pasta or other spiral-shaped pasta
• To a stockpot, add 4 quarts of cold water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil.
• Meanwhile, in a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pine nuts tossing constantly until fragrant and golden brown. Salt lightly. Remove from skillet and set aside.
• Cut the carrot tops from the carrots, leaving 1 inch of the stems still attached to the leafy carrot tops. Set carrots aside. Rinse the tops by swirling vigorously in the sink. Remove and discard any brown or yellow leaves.
• Place carrot tops in one of the pots of boiling water for 20 seconds, or just until they get color. Transfer to an ice bath to shock. Spin dry or pat dry on a paper towel.
• Drain the water from the stockpot and refill with 4 quarts of fresh cold water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil for cooking pasta later.
• Grab the base of the stem and pull off the leafy green tops. Repeat with all of the carrot tops. Discard the stems. Place the green tops in a food processor with the garlic. Add pine nuts. Pulse the green tops, garlic and nuts until finely chopped. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the lemon juice and zest, then slowly pour in the olive oil while the food processor is running. Stop the food processor and use a spatula to scrape down the sides. Continue pulsing until pesto reaches your desired texture. Season to taste with salt.
• Peel carrots, gently wash and cut each in half at bias. Cut lengthwise to get all pieces approximately the same size to allow them to cook evenly.
• In a saute pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the carrots, 1 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of sugar. Toss to coat carrots in butter. Next, add 1½ cups of water, turn heat to high, and simmer for approximately 5 minutes, until the carrots are al dente.
• In the pot of boiling water, cook 1 pound gemelli (or other spiral-shaped) pasta according to package directions.
• When carrots are cooked, remove from heat and add 1/2 cup of pesto to pan and stir. Season to taste with salt.
• Drain pasta and toss with remaining pesto. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and additional pesto, if desired.
This article appears in June 2013.