Cumin and Honey Roasted Carrots, Ricotta, and Gremolata
These carrots are not your usual roasted carrots.
Prep Time: 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 25 minutesminutes
Total: 45 minutesminutes
Servings: 4to 6 as a first course, 2-3 as a main course.
Ingredients
For the carrots:
1poundcarrots (from 2 smallish bunches)
2tablespoonsolive oil
2tablespoonshoney
1teaspooncumin seeds
1/4teaspoonfine sea or kosher salt
1/4teaspoonred chile flakes
12ouncesgood quality, whole milk ricotta
juice of 1/2 a lemon
finishing salt, such as Maldon flake
black pepper
For the gremolata:
small handful mint leaves
small handful carrot greens
1small garlic clove
zest of half a lemon
Instructions
Roast the carrots:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375ºF.
Trim and scrub the carrots, reserving the greens. Slice larger carrots in half lengthwise, and halve crosswise if longer than 6 inches. Place the carrots on a baking sheet, drizzle with the olive oil and honey, and sprinkle with the cumin, chile flakes, and salt. Roast, tossing occasionally, until the carrots are golden and collapsing in places and very tender, 20-30 minutes.
Spread the ricotta in the bottom of a medium-sized baking vessel. Top with the roasted carrots and any good stuff that's stuck to the pan. Bake until the ricotta is warmed through, 5-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the gremolata just before serving:
Place the herbs on a cutting board, and use a microplane (or the finest holes on a box grateto grate the garlic clove and lemon zest over the herbs. Use a sharp chef's knife to chop everything together.
When the ricotta and carrots are done, remove from the oven and sprinkle with some of the gremolata (you may not need all of it), a good squeeze of lemon juice, a few pinches of flaky salt, and a grind or two of black pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Inspired by a contorno I enjoyed at Pizzeria Delfina in Burlingame .This dish is all about the carrots, so use the sweetest, freshest ones you can find. Save the greens for making the gremolata.I have a physical dependency on Bellwether Farm's whole milk, basket-dipped ricotta and highly recommend it here. Alternatively, you can make your own.Don't prepare the gremolata until you're about to serve the dish, as the mint will blacken.I don't mind making a meal of this, a green salad, a hunk of bread, and a glass of wine, but you can also serve it as a first course or contorno, or to the side of grilled meat of some sort.Nutritional values are based on one of four servings.