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Crisp, Chewy Parmesan-Roasted Carrots

Francis Lam

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2pounds sweet young carrots
1tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3ounces Parmesan cheese (for this, splurge and get really good Parmigiano Reggiano)
Salt, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1.Preheat the oven to 375⁰F. Peel the carrots and cut into half-inch coins. Or, if you want to be cool, roll-cut them: Hold the carrot on the cutting board by the thick end. Start cutting from the thin end, pointing your knife at a 45-degree angle towards the thick end. Cut a 1” piece (measured on the long side). Roll the carrot towards you by a 1/4 turn, then cut another 1” piece. Repeat over and over, until you have a pile of irregularly-shaped but evenly-sized chunks.
2.Grate cheese very fine, preferably with a microplane. Divide it into three even piles.
3.Toss carrots in a mixing bowl with olive oil and salt to taste. Toss again with one of the piles of cheese.
4.Evenly sprinkle a second pile of cheese all over a large baking sheet (see note below). Don’t just dump the bowl of carrots onto it – place them on the pan as evenly as you can (you don’t want to bunch all the cheese together) in one layer. Evenly sprinkle the remaining cheese all over pan, so it finds all the spaces in between the carrots.
5.Roast for 15-18 minutes, or until the carrots are tender, the cheese around edges of the pan is a rich brown, and the cheese in the middle is a nice golden brown.
6.Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool to room temperature; as it cools, the cheese will firm up; the browner stuff will be crisp, the lighter chewy. Scrape it up with spatula, somewhat gently to keep the cheese in shards. Serve at room temperature or slightly rewarmed.