Roasted Root Vegetables with Cilantro Pesto

Quite possibly my greatest invention ever. Based (loosely) on this recipe on Epicurious.

Ingredients

Vegetables
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped
3 small red potatoes, washed and chopped
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 parsnips, peeled and chopped, with the woody core cut out
a handful or two of baby carrots
about 2 T. oil (olive or garlic or what have you), salt and pepper

Pesto

fresh basil (about 4-5 large leaves)
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/2 c. olive oil (actually a little less, more like 1/4 + 1/8)
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted
Cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper

Methodology

1. Toss vegetables with about 2 T. of oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange on a cookie sheet in a single layer and put in a 500* oven. Stir occasionally.

2. Put pine nuts, herbs, Parmesan, olive oil, and spices in a blender and blend them into a thick green paste. Add more salt and pepper as needed.

3. When cooked, toss vegetables with about 1/2 the pesto (you can freeze the rest). Serve with more Parmesan by the side.

Notes

*This was awesome.

*Don't use a pan with high sides, it insulates too well and the veg will not cook fast enough.

*If you had kosher salt, that would be nice to toss the veg with to roast.

*Don't put potato peelings or paper towels down the garbage disposal.

*Disaster index: 2/7