Anything goes, no waste pesto!
Part of reducing waste has to start in the kitchen! We all do our best to eat leftovers and use things before they go bad. But what if you could take it a step further and use almost every part of the fruits and vegetables in your fridge each week? A good start is planning your meals in advance and trying to pick similar ingredients to limit food waste. This carrot top pesto takes it a step further, ensuring every inch of that beautifully grown carrot is used to nourish our bodies.
Pesto is my favorite end of week sauce to throw together using whatever I have left. Ran out of pine nuts? No worries, you can use cashews, walnuts, pistachios, pecans, or macadamia nuts instead. Have a nut allergy? Try sunflower seeds, edamame, or white beans. Out of fresh basil? Swap it out for other greens like carrot tops, arugula, spinach, or kale. Want to make it vegan? Change out the parmesan for nutritional yeast. The possibilities and combinations are endless. I hope you try this quick and easy pesto recipe and never throw away those big leafy green carrot tops again!
Ingredients
Pesto:
2 cups of packed fresh basil
1-2 cups carrot top greens
Juice of half a lemon
2 cloves of garlic
Chunk of parmesan or 2-3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup almonds
1 tsp salt (to taste)
1 tsp pepper (to taste)
1/2 cup hot water (to desired thickness)
Pasta:
1 lb. of pasta
Parmesan and/or red chili flakes to garnish
Preparation
1. Make sauce: Add basil, nuts, parmesan (or nutritional yeast), salt, pepper, lemon juice, garlic, water, and olive oil to a blender or food processor. Mix until desired consistency is reached, adjusting seasoning or water as needed.
2. Make pasta: Bring a pot of water to a boil, adding a pinch of salt. Cook pasta until al dente, then drain. Drizzle pesto over pasta with a spoon, topping with parmesan and/or red chili flakes.
3. Store leftover pesto in container in the refrigerator for one week, then place into molds and freeze to store for up to 1 month.