Roasted Carrots Recipe

Prep and roast carrots

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Trim carrot tops and peel if desired; leave thinner carrots whole and halve larger carrots lengthwise so pieces are roughly uniform. Toss carrots in a mixing bowl with 2 tbs olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, and the thyme sprigs, coating evenly.

Arrange carrots in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, cut side down where applicable. Roast in the preheated oven until tender and caramelized at the edges, 20–28 minutes depending on thickness, turning once halfway through for even browning.

Remove carrots from oven, squeeze the juice of half a lemon over them and zest a little lemon on top. Let rest on the pan while you prepare the pesto and ricotta so flavors can meld.

Make the pesto

In a food processor add the toasted almonds, chopped tomatoes, basil, parsley, and garlic. Pulse until coarsely chopped.

With the processor running, drizzle in 3 tbs olive oil and 1 tsp red wine vinegar until the mixture comes together into a coarse, slightly chunky pesto. Season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper; pulse once or twice to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning or oil for desired consistency. If you prefer a completely smooth pesto, process longer.

Transfer pesto to a bowl and set aside. (For nut-free version replace almonds with toasted shelled sunflower seeds and proceed the same.)

Whip the ricotta

Place ricotta, 2 tbs cream (or milk), 1/2 tsp lemon zest, 1/4 tsp salt and a pinch of black pepper into a blender or bowl with an immersion blender. Blend until smooth and airy, about 30–45 seconds. Taste and adjust salt or lemon as desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Omit this step to keep the dish vegan/dairy-free.

Plate: Spoon a dollop (about 1–2 tbs) of whipped ricotta onto each serving plate or onto a communal platter if using. If omitting ricotta, smear a small circle of pesto instead as the base.

Arrange roasted carrots over or beside the ricotta. Spoon 1–2 tbs of pesto trapanese over the carrots, letting some fall onto the plate for color and flavor contrast.

Drizzle the finish 1 tsp olive oil over the carrots, sprinkle toasted almond slivers and the fresh basil leaves. Add additional lemon zest or a few cracks of black pepper to taste.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Leftover pesto stores covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; ricotta up to 2 days.