Honey Roasted Carrots with Crispy Quinoa Sage Pesto
Honey Roasted Carrots with crispy quinoa, fresh sage pesto, and pomegranate seeds. A colorful, delicious, make-ahead holiday side dish!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
honey roasted carrots
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup pomegranate arils
crispy quinoa
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- sea salt and black pepper
sage pesto
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup fresh sage leaves
- 1/3 cup toasted pepitas
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt
- chili flakes to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- On a baking sheet, toss the carrots with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes. Add the honey, toss, and roast another 5-10 minutes until caramelized.
- Make the pesto. In a food processor, combine all the pesto ingredients. Pulse until finely chopped, leaving the pesto slightly textured.
- Make the crispy quinoa. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the cooked quinoa and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and crispy. Let the quinoa sit for a few minutes between stirring to help it crisp up.
- Arrange the carrots on a serving plate. Spoon over the pesto, then top with crispy quinoa and pomegranate seeds. Serve warm!
Notes
For the carrots: Try to use carrots that are similar in size so they roast evenly. If some are much thicker, slice them in half lengthwise. Don't add the honey until the end of roasting. This helps the carrots caramelize without the honey burning.
For the crispy quinoa: Make sure your quinoa is cooked and fairly dry before adding it to the butter. Leftover quinoa works especially well here! Spread it out in the skillet and let it sit for a few minutes between stirring. This is the secret to getting those delicious crispy bits.
Make ahead: The sage pesto can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. The carrots can be roasted a day ahead, then warmed in the oven before serving. I recommend making the crispy quinoa just before serving for the best crunch.
For Thanksgiving: This is such a pretty side dish for the holiday table! Make the pesto and cook the quinoa ahead of time, then roast the carrots closer to dinner. Crisp the quinoa in a skillet with butter just before serving. Assemble everything right before bringing the platter to the table.
Leftovers: Store the carrots, pesto, and quinoa separately in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat the carrots in the oven and crisp the quinoa in a skillet before serving.
