I am not a very heavy-handed spice user in my savory cooking, but there is something about sweet, earthy carrots that calls for it. Instead of getting toasted beforehand, the spices (and walnuts!) are roasted with the carrots (and an extremely generous knob of butter), blooming in the fat as they cook, the butter lightly browning as the spices come alive, the walnuts toasting, the carrots tenderizing, then caramelizing—all at once.
I’m admittedly wary of sweet vegetables, so I always like to anchor them in something deeply savory. Here, raw garlic adds that intensity, but don’t worry, the heat from the just-roasted carrots gently tames its bite.
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. For fun and if you feel like it, thinly slice some of the carrots into coins. Halve the remaining ones lengthwise, quartering them if they’re especially large or thick (don’t overthink this!)—it’s just nice to have different shapes that lead to different textures once roasted.
3. Toss the carrots, walnuts, and olive oil together on a sheet pan and season with salt and pepper. Add the cinnamon, coriander, red pepper flakes, and fennel seed and toss to coat. Scatter with the butter (or more olive oil). Roast, tossing every 15 minutes or so, until the carrots are deeply browned, well past the point of tender, and starting to frizzle at the edges, 30–35 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and toss with the raw garlic (the warmth of the carrots will soften the raw bite). Serve warm or room temperature.
DO AHEAD: The carrots can be roasted a few hours ahead of serving, gently rewarmed in the oven if your kitchen is cold and the butter has solidified.
EAT WITH: Crisp, Hot Roast Chicken (page 262 in Something from Nothing) and a bowl of farro tossed with herbs, or alongside brothy beans or chickpeas (page 158) and a perky salad.