Alright, I am finally ready to confess. I thought I could hide it a bit longer but alas, I did it again. I posted another recipe that features fresh parsley. I’ll admit it. I’m obsessed. It’s not my fault that it pairs flawlessly with nearly everything. Take these Roasted Carrots with Garlic Tahini Sauce, it is 100% delicious on its own but with a handful of parsley, it is nearly impossible to keep your hands off of.
It is late April here in Minnesota and Spring is in the air. Trees are blooming, my husband just mowed the lawn for the first time this season, and our hostas are starting coming in. Yahoo for Spring! Right? Um, not so fast, this is Minnesota after all. Anyone from outside this beautiful state might be surprised to hear that despite Spring’s best efforts to arrive we are still seeing snow. Yes. You read that correctly, snow.
To make the best of this less-than-ideal weather I choose to embrace the cooler temperatures. This gives me a few more opportunities to turn on the oven and roast anything my heart desires. This week it was carrots or “cartoon carrots” as my husband likes to call the carrots with long green tops.
Can I tell you about the wonders of tahini? This thick and creamy paste made from ground sesame seeds has a wonderful nutty flavor. It makes a great addition to homemade salad dressings and dips. Tahini is always in our refrigerator for my husband’s black bean hummus. Although we go through a jar fairly quick, I’ve been looking for other ways to use tahini. I think we found a winner with this roasted garlic tahini sauce. There was some sauce leftover after finishing the carrots and before I knew it my husband had scooped it all up with some crackers. Next time I am going to have to make a double batch.
Have I mentioned yet that there is an entire head of garlic in this tahini sauce? First I started with 4 large roasted garlic cloves but the flavor wasn’t coming through. Then I roasted another 4 large cloves and that still wasn’t enough! I remade the entire recipe with a whole head of garlic and BINGO, that was it.
Alright, let’s get to it.
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 40 minutes |
| Servings |
sides
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- 1 bunch carrots with tops
- 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil divided
- course ground salt
- 1 head garlic
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup whole fat yogurt
Ingredients
Tahini Sauce
|
|
- Preheat oven to 375°. To prepare the carrots, cut the greens from the bunch, leaving about a ½ to 1-inch stem. Scrub carrots under the faucet to remove dirt. Slice carrots in half lengthwise and lay in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and salt as desired. For the garlic, cut the bottom head of the head of garlic to expose the cloves. Drizzle with 1-2 tsp of olive oil and wrap in aluminum foil. Roast carrots until tender, about 30-40 minutes and allow garlic to roast for 40 minutes total.
- While the carrots cook, prepare the pine nuts. Heat one teaspoon of oil in a non-stick skillet. Add pine nuts and saute over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes until golden brown, tossing often. Set aside.
- To prepare the tahini, whisk together tahini, salt, yogurt and lemon juice in a small bowl. Refrigerate. Once the garlic head has finished roasting and cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves into the tahini sauce and whisk until smooth. (optional) Add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until sauce is desired consistency.
- Before serving, spoon the tahini sauce on the bottom of a serving plate. Place carrots on top, sprinkle with parsley and toasted pine nuts.
