Why are carrots and oranges such good friends?

That evening all the vegetables in the fridge were gone, leaving only carrots, so I made pasta with the carrots. Seeing so many carrots climbing over the noodles might put many people off their appetite, but this plate of pasta turned out to be a big hit; my father, who has always loved meat, ate a great deal of it in big mouthfuls.

Every time I go to the market and see carrots, I always feel sorry for them. Each carrot has been scrubbed completely clean, stripped of its fine roots and its top, and looks lifeless; its ring-like lines make it look like an orange-red mummy. Most people buy carrots mainly for color coordination, and few buy them in order to eat carrots. But it is a different story when you see small farmers selling thinned carrots: with green leaves, fine hairs and mud, each little one is truly adorable, and every time I see them I cannot resist buying them; when cooked, children love them too, and sticking one into rice can be a fun little game of pulling up a radish. To get kids to pull up the radish and happily eat it at the same time, you have to use a bit of ingenuity to make every little carrot delicious.

The key to the deliciousness of this plate of carrot pasta at night is actually orange juice. Carrots and oranges are truly good friends; after carrots are added to orange juice, their originally raw and astringent flavor becomes mellow and lovely, with a fresh, sweet aroma when eaten. Although chicken breast was added to the plate, the meat actually felt superfluous when eaten, so I suggest leaving the chicken breast out and simply letting the carrots perform well. Winter oranges are now on the market, and carrots are about to be in peak season too; carrots and oranges hand in hand can make all kinds of delicious carrot dishes, and once you try making them you will know just how well the two suit each other.

[Carrot Pasta]
The ingredients are very, very simple; it is an impromptu inspiration suitable for clearing out the fridge~
You need carrots, orange juice and noodles; if you have a yellow lemon, even better.
Time to start cooking~
Use a peeler to shave the carrots into strips; the amount can be a big handful, as much as you are satisfied with, but do not be afraid or hold back, a big handful is just right.
First boil a pot of water for the noodles, and remember to add salt to the water.
Put the peeled carrots into the pot, pour in some orange juice as you like, drizzle with a little oil or butter if you like; fat and carrots are good friends, so do not worry about getting fat, then cover with a lid and cook for a while, but do not cook them until mushy.
Once cooked, combine with the noodles and season with a little salt; finally drizzle with a little olive oil, grate on a bit of yellow lemon zest and squeeze in some juice.

PS: Thanks to my friend Jasmine for telling me this little trick of adding orange juice, because once Jasmine and her boss went to a hotel for a big meal, and the chef told her the little secret of preparing carrots with orange juice and butter.

Remember to cook delicious carrots properly, so that carrots are both cute and tasty.