Roasted parsnips with a lemon, herb and pumpkin seed pesto

One way to beat the winter blues is to make the most of root vegetables, which thrive in a cold snap. Whip up this pesto and smother it on roasted parsnips for the full effect

Sweet enough on their own, pair parsnips with sharp, punchy flavours (Photos Julia Platt Leonard)

Parsnips aren’t much to look at – a bit like anaemic, stocky carrots (to which they’re related), but give them a bit of heat and you’ll uncover a treasure. Parsnips are a classic winter vegetable as a cold snap will actually bring out their best.

While you’ll find recipes pairing parsnips with honey or maple syrup, they don’t actually need it. They’ve got enough sweetness on their own. If you’re too liberal with additional sweeteners you’re likely to find them cloying. Better to marry them with acid and punchy, sharp flavours to balance out the dish.

When you’re prepping parsnips, you’ll often find a woody core running down the centre. Best to remove that before cooking as it can be tough and unpleasant.

(Julia Platt Leonard)

Roasted parsnips with a lemon, herb and pumpkin seed pesto

Serves 4 as a side dish

5 parsnips, around 900g
35g mint, around 14g of leaves
30g dill, around 14g dill fronds
Zest of one lemon
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
125ml olive oil plus 1-2 tbsp for roasting
Salt and pepper

Garnish

Additional pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 220C. Peel the parsnips and cut them in half, separating the thinner bottom from the thicker top. Take the bottom section and slice it in half lengthways. There is no need to remove the core from the bottom half unless it’s particularly thick and woody. Slice the top half into quarters. Stand each quarter on the cutting board and make a vertical cut to remove the inner core.

Place all the sliced parsnips on a baking sheet. Toss generously with salt and pepper and 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Roast in the hot oven until nicely browned and tender, around 10-15 minutes.

While the parsnips are roasting, make the pesto. Place the pumpkin seeds, mint leaves, dill fronds and lemon zest in the small bowl of a food processor with a tablespoon or two of the oil. Pulse the mixture, slowly drizzling in the rest of the oil. You want a thick mixture but one that you can spoon easily onto the parsnips. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

Place the roasted parsnips on a serving plate and garnish with the pesto and a scattering of additional pumpkin seeds. Leftover pesto can be stored in a clean glass jar in the refrigerator and used to top fish fillets, chicken or other roasted vegetables.

@juliapleonard