orecchiette pasta with turnips and kale

Kale and turnips are both staple winter crops and compliment each other nicely in this simple pasta dish. With plenty of butter, cheese and caramelizing this recipe is rich and flavorful. Turnips provide great umami on their own but also provide great backup to chicken or pork if you want to add those to this recipe.

Photo and recipe originally published as

Orecchiette with Caramelized Turnips, Tuscan Kale, and Cracked Pepper from 'The Vermont Farm Table Cookbook.

Visit their site for more photos and details on preparation for this recipe.

orecchiette pasta with turnips and kale

prep time: 10 min
cook time: 20 min
4-6 servings

Ingredients

Salt

1 pound orecchiette

1/4 cup canola oil

2 medium turnips

1 pound kale

2 garlic cloves

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

8 tbsp unsalted butter

2/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus extra for garnish

Preparation

1. Prepare the vegetables. Peel and cut turnips into 1/4-inch dice. Remove stems and center ribs from kale and tear or roughly chop. Mince fresh garlic cloves.

2. If adding chicken or pork to recipe, lightly brown in a large saucepan over medium-high heat prior to adding turnips to pan (step 4).

3. Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 3/4 cup of the pasta water. Set aside.

4. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the turnips and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until the turnips are tender and golden, about 6 minutes.

5. Add the kale and cook, stirring often, until the kale is very tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring often, 1 minute. Add the reserved pasta water as needed and season with cracked pepper to taste. Add the butter and stir gently until melted.

6. Add the pasta to the kale mixture and toss with tongs until the pasta is well coated. Stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Season with salt and additional cracked pepper to taste.

7. Divide the pasta into warm bowls, sprinkle with additional cheese, if desired, and serve.

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