Roasted carrots over Cannellini and hazelnut purée

If you’re looking for the final puzzle piece for your Thanksgiving spread, this festive recipe from Catherine Owens of @countercollaborative is for you! It’s incredibly flavorful on its own, but even more outstanding with the usual suspects: cranberry sauce, green beans, and rolls. 

"Yes, you could cook the carrots significantly faster at a higher temperature, but the key to getting the most delicious result is to cook them low and slow so that the natural sugars have time to caramelize. They’re worth the wait! And if you’re like me and are loath to waste good carrot tops, the following gremolata-ish herb topper can be made as a garnish but it’s not necessary to the overall flavors of the dish. Be sure to have nice crusty bread on hand to swipe up every last bit." 

Featured bean: Cannellini

Other beans to try: Alubia

Take 'em from dried to cooked with our guide! 

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Ingredients 

Carrots and purée

• 1-½ cup dried Cannellini beans
• 3 cloves garlic, 2 sprigs rosemary, glug of olive oil, salt & pepper (for flavoring beans)
• ½ cup raw hazelnuts
• 1 tsp finely minced rosemary
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 4 tbsp olive oil + ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 bunches thin rainbow carrots (tops removed and saved for optional herby topper)
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 1-½ tbsp maple syrup
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Herby topper (optional)

• 1 cup packed carrot fronds (discard any fibrous stems)
• 2 tbsp packed tarragon (leaves only)
• Zest from 1 lemon (microplaned)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt to taste
  

Steps

Cook beans via the Primary Beans Bean Cooking Guide using your preferred method. Once cooked, remove rosemary sprigs, strain, and reserve broth.

Add strained beans to the food processor along with hazelnuts, minced rosemary, 2 cloves garlic, and 4 tbsp olive oil. While the food processor is running, add reserved broth ¼ cup at a time until desired consistency is achieved, about 1-¼ cups in total. (The purée will thicken as it cools, so let it sit for a bit before discarding excess broth.) Salt liberally to taste.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Scrub carrots (do not peel) and place in a walled, oven-safe dish where they can lay flat lengthwise but are a bit cramped width-wise. Whisk together lemon juice, maple syrup, thyme leaves, and remaining ¼ cup olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Pour over carrots, making sure they all get coated. Place, uncovered, in the oven and roast until carrots are wrinkly and soft but still maintain a soft bite, basting carrots in the sauce every 25 minutes or so. Total cook time should be 45 to 90 minutes, depending on the thickness of the carrots. 

To make the optional herby topper: Mince carrot fronds, tarragon, and garlic. Stir together with lemon zest and olive oil, and salt to taste. 

Spread a base of Cannellini-hazelnut purée on a serving plate (this is a good time to double check that the consistency and seasoning of your purée are as you’d like them), place carrots on top, and drizzle with spoonfuls of sauce from the pan. Dab with optional herb topper if desired. This dish works well warm or at room temperature. 

For more from Catherine, see her recipe for Alubia beans with rose harissa and orange and Tips for building a beautiful grazing board.