Carrot Top and Pumpkin Seed Pesto Pasta
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- Leaves without stems from the tops of 1 large bunch of carrots (about 2 cups, lightly packed)
- 2 peeled cloves of garlic
- ¼ cup roasted salted pepitas, pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
- Juice of 1 small lemon
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 lb dried conchiglie pasta or other shell or tube shape like orecchiette, farfalle, or penne
Instructions
- Place the carrot tops, garlic, pepitas, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a mini food processor. Pulse until the pesto is evenly mixed but still a little bit chunky. Open the processor and scrape the ingredients down the side if needed.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta & cook according to package directions (usually about 9 minutes) until cooked to your liking. Drain, and place in a large bowl.
- Scrape the pesto out of the food processor and into the bowl of pasta. Use large utensils to toss until the pasta is well coated. Spoon into bowls and serve with an extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese.