Pasta with Turnip Pesto
I look forward to buying turnips with a head of greens every spring, when this underappreciated but delicious veggie is in season. I blitz the greens into a flavorful pesto, cube and roast the turnips and mix it all into a healthy, delicious pasta with mushrooms.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 279kcal
Ingredients
- 6 small turnips (greens coarsely chopped, turnips cut into a ½-inch dice)
- 1 pound pasta (any small shape would work)
- ¼ cup walnuts
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed and minced)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt to taste
- 12 crimini mushrooms (or button mushrooms, sliced)
- 2 tablespoon capers
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta until al dente.
- Heat a pot of water to boiling point. Add the turnip greens and let them cook for a minute. Turn off the heat, drain and rinse the greens.
- Add the greens to a food processor along with the walnuts, garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil and salt. Blitz into a fine paste.
- Place the chopped turnips on a baking sheet sprayed with oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast in a preheated 425-degree oven about 30 minutes or until golden and tender.
- Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan and roast the mushrooms over medium-high heat until golden and tender.
- In a large bowl, mix the pasta, pesto, roasted turnips and mushrooms, and capers. Add more salt or ground black pepper to taste.
Nutrition
Calories: 279kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Potassium: 371mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 41IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg