Roasted vegetables could be a meal in itself for me. The sugars caramelize, the texture becomes tender, the flavors intensify and deepen – it’s perfect. A huge part of cooking is finding balance in flavors, and sometimes that means adding a pop of contrast. With these round, deep flavors, a punctuation of brightness is a welcome addition. Pumpkin seed pesto is a slight twist on the classic, and adds a lovely bright note to this dish. So eat it as a meal, or serve it as a side, either way, it’s one of my favorites for winter.

INGREDIENTS (ROASTED VEGETABLES)

1/2 pound carrots, peeled (halved lengthwise if large)

1/2 pound parsnips, peeled (halved lengthwise if large)

1/2 pound yams, wedged

1/2 pound turnips, wedged

1/2 cup olive oil

3 garlic cloves, sliced 1/4 inch thick

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Rub the vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Spread across two or three rimmed baking sheets and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked through. Broil for the last 5 minutes, to get a nice, deep color on them. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS (PUMPKIN SEED PESTO)

1 cup basil leaves, packed

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1 garlic clove

1/4 cup parmesan

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Combine everything except for the olive oil in a food processor, and blitz to form a paste. Slowly drizzle the olive oil in while blending. Season to taste, feel free to add more olive oil to thin out the sauce if needed.