Ingredients
- 3 bunches small Dutch carrots, trimmed, carrot tops reserved
- 2 large red onions, cut into wedges
- 2 tbsp maple syrup, plus extra to drizzle
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp chopped thyme
- 250g ricotta
- 200g Danish feta, crumbled
- 1 egg
- 375g roll Careme All Butter Puff Pastry, thawed
Carrot Top Pesto
- 1 cup (40g) tightly packed reserved carrot tops, tough stems discarded
- 60g baby spinach leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- ¼ cup (35g) roasted pistachios
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
- ½ cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 50 minutes
Method
- Preheat oven to 210°C (190°C fan forced). Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
- Scrub and wash the carrots; if carrots are large, slice in half lengthways, otherwise leave whole.
- Place carrots and onion onto the prepared tray; drizzle with maple syrup and oil. Bake for 25 minutes or until carrots are tender and caramelised. Toss through the thyme; set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix the ricotta, feta and egg. Mix well and set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the Carrot Top Pesto. Place the reserved carrot tops and remaining pesto ingredients into a food processor; process until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
- Change oven setting to intensive bottom heat, leaving it on 210°C. Line a second baking tray with baking paper. Cut the puff pastry into 4 equally-sized pieces and place pastry onto the prepared tray. Divide the ricotta cheese mixture equally between pastry pieces, leaving a 1cm edge. Top with the roasted carrot and onion; drizzle with extra maple syrup if desired.
- Slide the tray on the bottom shelf. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden. Drizzle with Carrot Top Pesto before serving, saving any leftover pesto for another day.
Recipe Notes
Feel free to make the pesto in advance. You can substitute basil for spinach and use your favourite nut in place of pistachio.
Using an intensive bake oven with more heat directed onto the bottom makes the pastry crisper on the base. You can use this technique to bake flans and quiches without having to blind bake.
Featured Appliance
ILVE Professional Plus Built-In Oven
A highlight of the ILVE Professional Plus Built-In Oven is its 4.3inch touch control display with intuitive & vibrant graphics and logical operation. Touch and sliding movement controls are smooth and easy to use. Within the TFT display you can control the oven temperature and manage the quantity of moisture inside the cooking cavity.
