2 little twists that make roasted carrots pop on an Easter table

Roasted carrots are one of the simplest and most colorful ways to round out a holiday meal, and carrots and Easter go together like… well, carrots and bunnies. But what if I told you that with just two small extra steps you could make your roasted carrots even more eye-catching and delicious?

First, try to find multicolored carrots. These might be available at farmstands and farmers’ markets, as well as specialty produce stores. And these days you can also find them at well-stocked supermarkets. They often contain a blend of red, purple, white, yellow and orange carrots.

If you want to stick with good old orange carrots, however, you’re still going to have something beautiful and delicious.

Cut the carrots in half lengthwise, place them on a baking sheet, drizzle with some olive oil, and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Roast them in a hot oven until they are a bit browned and tender.

The second twist is making a simple and immensely flavorful (and nutritious!) spinach-parley pesto. This involves throwing a handful of ingredients into a food processor and pulsing and blending. If you are a mortar and pestle kind of cook, go for it.

And more good news: You can make the pesto and hold it in the fridge for up to five days, plus you could get those carrots sliced a few days ahead of time, so the day you plan to serve them it’s just a question of roasting and dolloping. You can store leftover pesto in the freezer for up to two months (ice cube trays are a good little hack for this, as that allows you to defrost just what you need going forward).

Finally, these carrots are delightful served hot, warm or at room temperature. They are low-maintenance, and we all need some easy breezy recipes during the holidays.

These would be the perfect side dish for an Easter feast, whether you’re serving a baked ham, roasted lamb or maybe poached salmon.

Roasted Carrots with Spinach Parsley Pesto

Servings: 6

Part 1: The Carrots

INGREDIENTS

1 pound carrots, preferably multicolored, peeled

2 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

About 1/2 cup Spinach Parsley Pesto (recipe follows)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Slice the carrots in half lengthwise. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle over the olive oil, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and toss the carrots so they are well coated with the oil. Spread them out in a single layer. Roast for about 25 minutes until they are tender but not soft, and browned along the edges.

Serve hot, warm, or room temperature, dolloped with the Spinach Parsley Pesto.

Part 2: The Spinach-Parsley Pesto

INGREDIENTS

2 small cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup chopped scallions

1 1/2 cups packed roughly chopped baby spinach

1/2 cup packed parsley leaves

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Place the garlic, scallions, spinach and parsley into a food processor and pulse until everything is roughly chopped. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper and process, scraping down the sides, until everything is well blended.

For best texture, transfer the pesto to a small bowl and then stir in the Parmesan. If you want to make things faster, add the cheese to the food processor and pulse until incorporated. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

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Katie Workman writes regularly about food for The Associated Press. She has written two cookbooks focused on family-friendly cooking, “Dinner Solved!” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.” She blogs at https://themom100.com/. She can be reached at Katie@themom100.com.

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