Carrot pesto pizza

I’ll be honest, I went a little crazy with carrots this weekend. I ended up buying two beautiful bunches of carrots in both orange and purple only to realize that I already had a bag of orange carrots in the fridge at home. Whooops. #dontgogroceryshoppinghungry.

So what do you do when you’re RICH in carrots? Well…you make pizza, my friends. Lots and lots of pizza.

What I love most about my carrot pesto pizzas is that I was able to use the whole entire carrot – from the big, bushy green tops, to the peels to the carrot itself. As it turns out, carrot tops are super rich in nutrients and can make a great base for a pesto so there’s really no reason to waste them and carrot peels are like delicious little chips when roasted with spices.

I ended up making both a carrot puree and a carrot top pesto (one was bright orange and the other green) and both were AMAZINGLY good (not to mention amazingly good for me).

Carrot top pesto:

• 2 packed cups chopped carrot tops
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 chopped garlic clove
• 1-2 tsp red chili flakes, to taste
• Salt, to taste

Put ingredients in blender or food processor and blend. Add 1/4 cup olive oil and process again until almost smooth.

Spicy carrot puree:

• I roasted about 6 carrots peeled and chopped in olive oil for about 15 minutes at 425 (you just need your carrots to be halfway cooked) and then let them cool for 5 minutes
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1tbsp coriander
• 1 tbs turmeric
• 1-2 tsp red chili flakes, to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Once carrots are cool, place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Now for the pizzas.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Whole wheat pita bread (I made a whole package – about 6 pitas)
• Spicy carrot puree and / or carrot top pesto
• Cilantro, chopped
• A green leafy veggie or other veggies of choice. I used kale and purple cabbage and put it on the stove with a little olive oil just to tenderize it a bit
• Cherry tomatoes, sliced
• Mozzarella, sliced

Preheat oven to 425. Place pitas on a baking sheet and spread a layer of pesto on them (you can do just one or both!). Top with veggies and cheese and bake for about 8 minutes or until cheese is melted and edges of pita are slightly crisp and browned.

And enjoy. Devour. And enjoy some more.

I think the BEST thing about these pizzas is the carrot puree and carrot top pesto. I made enough to use throughout the week on wraps, sandwiches, salads and whatever else I can carrot up!

Stay sweaty friends!

XOXO,

Jamie