A plate of carrots shouldn't be the thing people remember from dinner, but this one usually is. The carrots go into a hot oven whole, pick up char at the edges, then get brushed with hot honey right before they come out. Underneath sits a layer of whipped ricotta, cool and a little tangy, which keeps the whole thing from tasting like straight sugar. It's the same idea behind Bob's Steakhouse carrots, minus the restaurant markup. About 45 minutes start to finish, most of it hands-off.

Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

You only need two components: roasted carrots and whipped ricotta. Here's what goes into each.

  • 1.5 lbs whole carrots, peeled, tops trimmed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, and black pepper
  • 3 tbsp hot honey (store-bought or honey + chili flakes)
  • 1 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1 cup whole-milk ricotta, room temperature
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp lemon zest and a pinch of salt

Instructions

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss the carrots with olive oil, salt, and pepper directly on a lined baking sheet. Skip the boiling step. Are you supposed to boil carrots before roasting? People assume so, but boiling first just waterlogs them and you lose the char you're after. Raw carrots straight into a hot oven caramelize better and hold their shape.

Cooking

Roast the carrots 25 to 30 minutes, flipping them once, until they're fork-tender and starting to blister. Do you add honey before or after roasting carrots? After, and it matters. Honey scorches fast under high heat, so brushing it on early just gives you burnt sugar instead of a glaze. Add it in the last five minutes, then let the carrots go back in until the honey turns glossy and tacky.

Serving

You can whip the ricotta while the carrots are in the oven, no need to wait. How to whip ricotta and honey? Beat the ricotta with honey, lemon zest, and salt using a hand mixer, about 2 to 3 minutes, until it turns pale and fluffy instead of grainy. Spread it across a plate first, not into a bowl, so it has surface area for the carrots to sit on. Lay the carrots over top, drizzle with more hot honey, and finish with black pepper.

Nutritional Value Per One Serving

Nutrition Facts (one serving)

  • Calories: 240
  • Total Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g
  • Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 310mg
  • Total Carbohydrates: 27g | Dietary Fiber: 4g | Sugars: 19g
  • Protein: 6g

Tips and Variations

What kind of glaze is best for carrots?

Plain honey tastes one-note on roasted carrots after a while. Hot honey gives you a slow burn underneath the sweetness, which is why it works better here. If chili isn't your thing, cut the heat and add orange juice instead. It won't have the same kick, but it keeps the glaze from being flat.

How do I make roasted vegetables with ricotta?

The method here isn't really carrot-specific. Roast, glaze, layer over whipped ricotta – it holds up with parsnips, beets, or squash too. Maple syrup instead of honey pulls it in a more earthy direction if that's what you want.

Conclusion

This isn't a complicated dish, and that's the point. Whole carrots, a good glaze, ricotta whipped until it's light. Nothing here is hard to get right, which is probably why it keeps ending up back on my table.

Need something tasty on the side? Check out our favorite side dish recipes – perfect for filling the plate without stealing the spotlight.