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So often the main dish gets all the attention. Not this dish. These roasted carrots take center stage and beg to be the main attraction. Plus, this method for roasting carrots is foolproof. Make these a few times and you’ll have the method perfected. Each bite of these oven roasted carrots is so flavorful, I recommend keeping the rest of the menu simple—roast chicken or grilled pork chops are perfect.
A family friend asked me to do a cooking demo at their dinner club on how to roast vegetables. And I think she probably wanted me to demo a big batch of mixed roast vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots and Brussels sprouts.
But I just couldn’t bring myself to do that. Very few vegetables can roast together and turn out good. Simply put, carrots roast at a totally different rate than sweet potatoes. And to be their best, they should roast at different temperatures, too.
So I became a little obsessed. I tested and roasted every vegetable I could get my hands on. And eventually I’ll share recipes for all of those, but today I’m sharing my method for carrots.
This method for roasting carrots is foolproof and should be kept in your back pocket for when you need a quick veggie side dish but don’t want to put too much thought into it.
They’re great on their own and even better with a drizzle of chimichurri or mustard vinaigrette. But if you’re looking for something truly special, this recipe, in its entirety, is just outstanding. It’s deeply savory and balanced in both flavor and texture. I hope you enjoy!
Ingredient Notes
Jump down to the recipe card for the full ingredient list, with amounts.
- Carrots: you’ll need whole carrots for this dish (no, I haven’t tested this with baby carrots), and I recommend you seek out whole carrots that are fairly large in size.
- Pepitas: use raw pepitas if you can. Roasted and salted will toast more quickly, so if that’s what you have, add them later in the cooking process so they don’t burn.
- Farmers cheese: this will be the trickiest to source because it’s not overly popular (yet!). The best way to describe it is a cross between cottage cheese and ricotta. It’s a wonderful canvas for flavor. If you can’t find it, I recommend using cottage cheese, straining it through a fine mesh sieve them blending it briefly in a food processor or blender.
The Step-by-Step Process
- Preheat the sheet pan then arrange carrots in an even layer and roast until tender and golden.
- While the carrots roast, make the crispy shallot-pepita topping by frying everything in olive oil.
- Sprinkle the crispy shallot-pepita topping over the carrots then pile it all over a bed creamy farmers cheese and serve.
The Best Method For Roasting Carrots
Through my many rounds of testing, I’ve found preheating a sheet pan is key for making really great roasted carrots. It jumpstarts the browning process which means the carrots don’t have to be in the oven for ages (and thus get mushy) before achieving some kind of browning.
The second step is to roast the carrots at a moderately high temperature of 425ºF on the bottom rack. Roasting on the bottom rack means the carrots are roasting as close as possible to the heating element.
And in regards to the temperature, anything cooler and the carrots will basically steam, anything higher and you risk the carrots burning before they are cooked through,
And lastly, cut the carrots at least ½ inch thick. Thinner slices will cook quicker, but they’ll become mushy before they brown. So don’t be tempted to slice them thinner, unless getting dinner on the table stat is all you care about.
Serve Roasted Carrots With
Roasted Carrots with Crispy Shallots and Farmer Cheese
Description
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds carrots
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- Kosher salt
- 2 small (or 1 large) shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons raw pepitas
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1½ cups (12 ounces) farmers cheese
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons golden raisins or currants
Instructions
- Set oven rack to lowest position, place sheet pan on rack and heat oven to 425ºF (218ºC).
- Meanwhile, peel 2 pounds carrots then cut, on the bias, into ½-inch-thick pieces.
- In a large bowl, toss carrots with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt.
- Carefully remove preheated sheet pan from oven and dump carrots on pan. Shake pan to arrange in an even layer then return to oven and roast 20 minutes. Using a spatula, scrape up carrots and flip; continue roasting until tender and starting to brown, 10–15 more minutes.
- Set a fine mesh sieve in now-empty bowl used to toss carrots and oil; set aside.
- Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium until shimmering. Add 2 sliced shallots, separating sliced rings as you add them to the oil, and cook, shaking skillet occasionally, until shallots are starting to brown, about 3½ minutes. Add 2 tablespoons pepitas and continue to cook until shallots are golden brown and pepitas are toasted, about 1½ minutes. Add ¼ teaspoon pepper flakes and cook 15 seconds. Remove from heat and immediately pour mixture through fine mesh sieve set in bowl.
- Transfer fried shallot mixture to a paper-towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt.
- Add 1½ cups farmer cheese, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon vinegar to infused oil and whisk to combine. Spread into an even layer on a large platter.
- Sprinkle fried shallot mixture over roasted carrots then, using a spatula, arrange carrots and shallots over farmer cheese. Sprinkle raisins over top and serve.
