This healthy vegetarian pasta dish was super quick and easy to make. The sweet, raw carrots were lovely combined with the toasted hazelnuts in the coarsely textured pesto. The crunchy hazelnut garnish over the top of the finished dish provided a wonderful contrasting texture as well. This recipe is from Martha Stewart Living. We ate it as a vegetarian main dish but it would also be nice as a side dish.
Well, I’m a little late to the party… My kids’ schedules are taking over my life!! 
This is the first (of several) springtime (or anytime!) vegetarian pasta dishes that I planned to bring to Angie’s Fiesta Friday #63 this week… I’m just a tiny bit late. (My kids are a great excuse, but my son did have a HUGE swim meet this weekend!!) Enjoy! (and look forward to the next several pastas) 🙂
Yield: Serves 6 as a main dish
- 6 small carrots (8 ounces), peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup toasted whole hazelnuts, plus 2 tablespoons, chopped, for serving
- 1 small clove garlic
- 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano (2 ounces)
- coarse salt
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 pound orecchiette
- Toast the hazelnuts: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. (I used a toaster oven.) Roast the hazelnuts until fragrant, about 3 to 4 minutes. Let cool; rub off the brown skins.
- Combine carrots, whole toasted hazelnuts, garlic, and grated cheese in the bowl of a food processor; season with salt. Pulse until coarsely pureed.
- With motor running, slowly add oil, processing to a paste.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions.
- Drain pasta; transfer to a bowl. Add pesto and toss to coat evenly.
- Drizzle with oil, top with chopped hazelnuts, and serve immediately.
One Year Ago:
Two Years Ago:
thebrookcook 
Now that is one pesto I haven’t tried. Love the colour and bet it’s delicious.
It was really unique, healthy, tasty. I loved the bright presentation too – Welcome SPRING!!
Josette, I love your pasta festival 🙂
Thanks! I wish I had called it a pasta festival!! LOVE it!! ❤
Wow, this looks great! I have never tried hazelnuts with pasta before. My daughter would probably love this. As my kids’ schedules are taking over my life as well (!), I will try this quick and healthy dish!
Thanks, Jenny! The hazelnut flavor really adds to the dish- I’m not sure I’d ever tried hazelnuts with pasta before either 🙂
Just brilliant ❤️
You are the best ❤
Looks amazing, – sunshine on a plate! Can’t wait to try making it!
Thank you, Yana!! I am going to start calling it sunshine on a plate- love it! 🙂
Haha, thank you 🙂
I nearly made this dish yesterday, but realised we didn’t have any hazelnuts.. Normally I’d substitute with something else but because there are not many ingredients in this dish anyway, I’d rather do it when I get the nuts, to get an authentic taste 🙂