Carrot Pesto with Beet and Broccoli Pasta

Carrot tops you say? Didn’t know you could eat them? Don’t know why you would want to eat them? Here’s why: The leaves of carrot are in fact edible and are highly nutritive. The dark green plant matter is rich in protein, minerals and vitamins. In fact, they are reported to contain six times the amount of vitamin C that is in the carrot root and are also a great source of vitamin K, potassium and calcium. The trick is, knowing what do do with them. To get started, we suggest something simple like a pesto!

Ingredients

• For the pesto:
  • 1 bunch of carrot tops
  • 1-3 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper (to taste)
  • 2-4 TBSP olive oil (or more if you mixture is too dry)
• For the pasta:
  • 4-5 small golden beets
  • 1 large head or three small heads of broccoli
  • Fresh linguini pasta (we used a red beet pasta)
  • Shredded parmesan cheese (to top)

Directions

1. To make the pesto, blend carrot tops, garlic, cheese, walnuts, basil, oil and salt/pepper together in CuisinArt or similar blending contraption. Set aside
2. Boil the beets in water until tender and skins peel off (about 20-30 minutes depending on size of beets)
3. Sautée broccoli with oil, salt and pepper until softened (about 5-7 minutes)
4. Coat pasta in pesto. Top with beets, broccoli and cheese.
5. Eat!