Turnip Pasta with Pesto, Artichoke Hearts and Kale is a super nutritious meal perfect for those who are looking for a whole food, paleo, grain-free or low-carb/keto dinner recipe.
Check out these green noods!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Our mission, should we choose to accept it, is to de-bloat on green turnip noodles before we re-bloat on green beer. Sound good? #ProTip: The ye olde de-bloat before re-bloat saga is the key to a successful St. Paddy’s.
But seriously, what are you doing to celebrate? Does it involve Guinness and Irish Pub Pandora radio? Vegetable noodle pasta that happens to be a natural anti-inflammatory? Shepherd’s Pie? Irish Soda Bread? Colcannon? Cosmopolitans and brownies?
Just thought I’d ask.
The turnips at the grocery store I shop at have been HUGE lately, an observation that immediately made me think of noodles.
Since I’ve been eating my weight in meat and potatoes lately, I thought I’d make a light-ish dish that could still trick me into thinking I was eating comfort food. Nothing like a little self-manipulation to keep the ol’ waistline in check.
In case you’re unfamiliar with turnips, they’re a starchy root vegetable full of phytonutrients, minerals, and are a natural anti-inflammatory (as previously mentioned).
Turnips are less carb-y than potatoes and are full of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and fiber. Plus did you know turnips contain a third of the calories of potatoes?
So basically, they’re every woman’s dream. The fact that the flavor of turnips is so subtle makes them an easy root for the pasta-ing. You can sauce these puppies however you please.
Yet another reason I love my Paderno Spiralizer is it can spit out turnip noodles faster than you can say, “Constantinople.” Seriously, this recipe took 8.7 seconds (slash 30 minutes) to prepare, making it an easy weeknight meal.
The dish makes you feel satisfied but not stuffed the way regular noodles do, and they’re chockerblock full of pesto-y artichoke-y flavor. You can even add sun-dried tomatoes or chicken if you want to be a real champ about it.
Do you have an extra special pesto sauce you love using for all your pesto-ing needs? I love making parsley, roasted beet, and kale pesto homemade, but am always up for a store-bought basil pesto in a pinch. You can make your sauce using whatever herbage you fancy or snag some at the store.
It’s your noodle and you’ll pesto how you want to. But add kale to the pasta for some extra vitamins, will ya? If we’re gonna go veg, we may as well go big, right?
More Healthy Noodle Recipes:
- Carrot Noodles with Ginger-Lime Peanut Sauce
- Mediterranean Zucchini Noodle Pasta
- Zucchini Noodles with Roasted Tomatoes and Lemon Garlic Sauce
- Green Curry Sweet Potato Noodle Bowls
In with the green, out with the bloat!
Turnip Pasta with Pesto Artichoke Hearts and Kale
Ingredients
- 2 large turnips peeled and spiralized
- 2 cups loosely packed kale leaves finely chopped
- 1 cup kale pesto
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil
- 1 6.5- ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts chopped
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- Parmesan cheese for serving optional
Instructions
- Chop the tip and tail off of the turnips, peel them, and spiralize them using a spiralizer.
- Add the kale, oil and pesto to a large skillet and heat to medium. Cook until kale has wilted, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the turnip noodles and artichoke hearts and stir well until the noodles are coated in sauce. Cover and cook 8 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until noodles have reached desired done-ness. Note: if noodles begin to stick to the bottom of the pan, add more oil or a couple tablespoons of water.
- Serve pasta with pine nuts and freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired. (To keep this recipe vegan or paleo, skip the cheese).
Nutrition
I made this last night. Turnips spiralize so well and have a great texture and taste. I didn’t have basil so made the pesto with kale only and added some lemon juice. I also added sun dried tomatoes. It was so good I know I’ll make it again! Thank you for sharing tasty, healthy recipes!
So glad you liked it, Lisa! So much nutrition in that dish! xo
Turnips!! They’re such an underrated veggie noodle. Especially all pesto-ed up like this! I need to be de-bloating on these RIGHT NOW.
First thing first, love your blog so much! Simplicity and elegance. But that is not the only thing that matter. Your veggie pasta are flawless! Keep bringing us new things please!
WHY haven’t I been eating more turnips?! I would never ever have thought of spiralizing them. Also WHY don’t I have a spiralizer?! Definitely next gadget on my list, then I’ll make this gooorgeous meal!
Cosmos and brownies for me! Just kidding….kind of. Who woulda thunk that you could transform a parsnip into a nood? I’m obsessed!
Iiiii know, right!? My favorite way of eating turnips is now via noodle. There really is no other way of cooking those things 😉
So I hate turnips. BUT the other day I bought them (i always do that. why?) and made an asian inspired noodle dish and now turnips are my FAV spiralizing veggie. They just take on the amazing flavors of anything you use so I am pretty suuuure that this will taste amazing! YAY for spiralizing! and 1/3 of the calories! YAY!
OBVIOUSLY just pinned this! Love it!
You’re too kind, m’dear! I can’t get enough of all your beautiful and delicious veggie noodle recipes. Thanks so much for your sweet note!
Pesto + artichokes + pine nuts? Sign me up for a week of de-bloating please!
Woop woop! You’ll love it, Sarah!
That’s a mighty fine pesto! Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you!
Friend, I love turnips and like you said they are so easy to make noodle with the spiralizer. I love mine and I am always making turnip noodles with this great tool. I always recommend this spiralizer to everyone. I’ve never made turnip past with pesto, but it looks delicious! Have to try this 😉
High fives for spiralizers and turnips! Let’s make dinner together! You roast the chicken, I’ll whip out some veggie noodles..deal? xo