Roasted Heirloom Carrots w/ Black Pepper Pasta

These roasted heirloom carrots are the perfect complement to a garlicky black pepper pasta, topped with toasty salt and pepper breadcrumbs.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings 4

Ingredients

Roasted Heirloom Carrots

1 Bunch Heirloom Carrots about 7-8 carrots
Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Squeeze Fresh Lemon
1 Tsp Dried Parsley Flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste

Black Pepper Pasta

1 Lb Spaghettini or Fettuccine
3-4 Cloves Fresh Garlic very finely minced
A Few Glugs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Juice from 1/2 a Lemon
3 Tsp Black Pepper fresh cracked
2 Tsp Dried Parsley Flakes
1/2 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
Salt to taste

Toasty Breadcrumbs

1 Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
Light Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil for frying
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Roasted Heirloom Carrots

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Wash carrots and trim off the stems.
On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, toss the carrots in the olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, and salt and pepper.
Roast carrots in the oven for 20-25 minutes. When done, let cool and set aside.

Black Pepper Pasta

Cook spaghettini in salted water according to the package's instructions. Linguine, fettuccine, or regular spaghetti work fine too.
When pasta is done cooking, drain water and put pasta back in the hot pot it cooked in (though off the heat).
While the pasta is still hot, add in a very generous glug (or glugs) of extra virgin olive oil, coating the pasta.
In a frying pan, add in a little drizzle of olive oil. Add in the minced garlic, and sauté on medium-low heat until just about to brown. Be careful not to actually brown your garlic!
Pour the garlic and the oil from the pan into the pot of pasta. Add in the lemon juice, black pepper, parsley, red pepper flakes, and salt to taste. Stir well until pasta is evenly coated.

Toasty Breadcrumbs

Bring your frying pan back to medium high heat with a little drizzle of olive oil.
Add in the breadcrumbs with a little salt and pepper, stirring well.
Lightly fry the breadcrumbs for about a minute or two, stirring often, until they are toasty brown. Just be careful - they can burn easily!

Putting it All Together

Assemble your bowls - add in a healthy portion of the pasta, with a few carrots for each person. Top with as many breadcrumbs as you like.
This pasta would also go well with fresh chopped parsley and lightly toasted walnuts. But if there are any other toppings you like, go for it!
Enjoy!

Notes

This recipe is very "taste as you go". I put in measurements based on my preferences, but you should adjust as you like. Please note that the pasta is very garlic forward - to reduce this, use only 1-2 cloves garlic.