Roasted Carrots & Parsnips with Parsley Pesto, pistachio, feta, & couscous
Roasted roots topped with some kind of creamy nutty herby sauce is always the dream, and the rest is just extra! Bring out the excitement in boring old roots with this recipe.
Ingredients
Roots: ½ pound carrots, 1-2 parsnips
1 cup couscous & 1 cup boiling water
½ bunch Italian parsley
¼ cup pine nuts (or whatever nuts you have)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Lemon juice & Olive oil to taste
¼ - 1/3 cup feta, crumbled
¼ - 1/3 cup pistachios, chopped (or whatever nuts)
Yogurt, for serving
Pomegranate seeds (if you’re feeling fancy!)
directions
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Slice carrots & parsnips lengthways in similar-sized slices and place in a baking tray. Season liberally with salt & pepper and drizzle with some good olive oil. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until cooked through and slightly charred. Once cooked, remove & cover to keep warm.
Measure out one cup of couscous and place in a bowl. Fill the same cup with boiling water and add to the couscous. Cover with a tea towel and set aside for 3 minutes until the water has been absorbed. Take one large handful of and parsley and place in a food processor with pine nuts, a twist of salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon. Blitz and slowly add extra virgin olive oil to loosen until you get an herby pesto oil.
For the couscous, take a fork and gently loosen the grains before adding in a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper to season. Add one tablespoon of the pesto and then take another large handful of parsley and chop finely before adding to the couscous. Using a wooden spoon, hit the back of half a pomegranate to release the seeds into the bowl. Stir the herbs and ruby seeds through the couscous to combine. Finish with crumbled feta & pistachios.
To serve, pile the couscous onto the center of your plate and top with the roasted carrots and parsnips. Finish with a drizzle of plain yogurt, a little more herby pesto and a final flourish of pomegranate seeds and chopped pistachios.
