PAN-FRIED CARROTS RECIPE easy and economical side dish
If you want to prepare a simple, quick, and light side dish, the recipe for PAN-FRIED CARROTS is perfect for you.
Perfect for serving alongside any meat, fish, or even cheese dish, they are made with a few simple ingredients you often already have at home: carrots, oil, salt, pepper, and aromatic herbs, and they will please everyone, both adults and children.
Making PAN-FRIED CARROTS is very easy; you just need to clean the carrots, slice them, and cook them in a non-stick pan with oil along with a clove of garlic, a few sprigs of rosemary (and/or thyme), a pinch of salt, and a sprinkle of pepper. At the end of cooking, you can enjoy carrots that are tender in the center but do not crumble and remain slightly crunchy.
Of course, you can customize the recipe as you like: for example, if you prefer a more delicate and sweet taste, replace the oil with butter (recipe in the notes below) or use other aromatic herbs like thyme, oregano, sage, and even sweet or smoked paprika.
Once ready, the PAN-FRIED CARROTS will be ideal for accompanying ROAST, SKEWERS, Roast Beef but also FISH in foil, eggs, fresh or aged cheeses, or simply to enrich a salad.
And now let’s see together how to prepare the pan-fried carrots, at the end of the procedure you will find variations and tips. For more side dish recipes, also take a look.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 54.36 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 7.09 (g) of which sugars 3.34 (g)
- Proteins 0.72 (g)
- Fat 2.98 (g) of which saturated 0.43 (g)of which unsaturated 0.10 (g)
- Fibers 2.04 (g)
- Sodium 126.54 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 70 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1.54 lbs carrots (already cleaned)
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1 sprig rosemary (thyme or sage)
- to taste salt
- 1 pinch black pepper (optional)
Tools
- Pan
- Peeler
Steps
Wash the carrots, remove the ends, and peel them with a peeler or a sharp knife. Then slice them (decide the thickness: the thinner they are, the less they cook). Put two tablespoons of oil in a non-stick pan and brown the crushed garlic over medium heat. Then add the carrots and sauté them for 5 minutes. Chop the aromatic herbs and add them to the carrots, adjust the salt and pepper, and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. The PAN-FRIED CARROTS are ready to be enjoyed either hot or at room temperature.
TIPS AND VARIATIONS
COOKING Cooking in a pan as opposed to boiling (or steaming) allows for less nutrient loss such as vitamins and keeps the flavor of the vegetables intact. If you prefer to enjoy the PAN-FRIED CARROTS less soft and more “crunchy,” you can reduce the cooking time; on the contrary, if you want softer carrots, you can let them cook longer, but be careful not to let the cooking bottom dry out for too long; at most, add a tablespoon of water.
CARROTS if you cut the carrots thicker, it may take a little more time, and you might need to add a few drops of water.
VARIATIONS To make the pan-fried carrots even more tasty and fragrant, you can, before cooking them in the pan, coat them in a mixture of breadcrumbs (or Panko) also flavored with herbs like parsley or rosemary. To flavor the CARROTS, you can use the spices and aromatic herbs you prefer, in addition to or in place of parsley and garlic.
BUTTER PAN-FRIED CARROTS
If you prefer to prepare PAN-FRIED CARROTS with a more delicate taste, replace the oil with butter, so they will retain a sweeter flavor. To prepare them, you will need to replace the extra virgin olive oil with 80 g of butter (calculated for 700 g of carrots). Once the carrots are cleaned and sliced, melt the butter in a pan and let it brown with the garlic. Then add the carrots and cook for five minutes until they soften.
Remove the garlic, add 100 ml of water, and continue cooking over high heat for another 5 minutes, all the cooking water should evaporate. Adjust the salt and pepper (optional) and serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.
STORAGE
Once ready, the pan-fried carrots can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container for up to 2 days. I do not recommend freezing.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
How can carrots be eaten?
Carrots are an extremely versatile vegetable that can be consumed in various ways. You can simply eat them raw cut into sticks as a healthy snack or as an appetizer accompanied by chickpea hummus, or grate them or julienne them to enrich salads. If you prefer cooked CARROTS to use as a light and healthy side dish for meat or fish dishes or cheeses, you just need to BOIL them and then season them simply with a drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt. Cooked in a pan with oil and spices, they become a tasty and crunchy side dish.
Why should carrots be peeled?
Before cooking or eating raw carrots, I recommend peeling them to remove soil and pesticide residues because their skin may contain traces.
