Pasta with Aci Turnip is a delicious first course made with this type of red kohlrabi from the territory of Acireale (in Sicily) and the surrounding areas.
It has unique characteristics and is highly appreciated both for its beneficial properties and for its deliciousness.
The turnip is cultivated at different times of the year, specifically in autumn and spring. It is rich in valuable nutrients, such as various minerals and vitamins (especially B6 and C9), important for the health of the eyes, skeletal, and digestive systems.
This vegetable also has a valuable purifying action, in addition to preventing various diseases.
The Aci turnip is a Slow Food Presidium and, as such, is among those rare and excellent products at risk of extinction, for which specific production guidelines and rules are provided, which must be scrupulously followed by growers who produce them
It is usually consumed raw in a salad, or with pasta “a stufateddu”, and this is indeed the recipe that follows.
This kohlrabi, after being quickly blanched, is cooked in a flavorful sauce that is then used to season the pasta, ideally cooked in the turnip’s cooking water to recover both the substances released in it and the characteristic aroma that it retains in part.
To finish the dish, a nice grating of local cheese. If not available, a generous amount of Parmesan is also fine, as I often do.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
- Energy 519.72 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 50.88 (g) of which sugars 7.20 (g)
- Proteins 19.35 (g)
- Fat 29.29 (g) of which saturated 8.82 (g)of which unsaturated 3.95 (g)
- Fibers 7.65 (g)
- Sodium 834.26 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 400 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 12 oz red cabbage (Aci turnip)
- 1.5 cups tomato passata
- 2 cloves garlic
- Half chili pepper (dried red hot)
- 6 oz pasta (such as penne rigate, sedanini, etc.)
- as needed extra virgin olive oil
- 1.5 cups water
- 2 oz Parmesan cheese (or aged caciocavallo)
- as needed coarse salt
Tools
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Frying Pan large and non-stick
- 1 Knife for vegetables
- 1 Bowl large
- 1 Pot
Steps
To prepare the pasta with Aci turnip, start by removing from it the most tender central part, the leaves, and the turnip.
Remove the harder part of the stems.
Chop both the leaves and the turnip into pieces, after peeling it.
Blanch for about 10 minutes. Drain the turnip while preserving the cooking water.
Heat olive oil in a pan along with 2 cloves of garlic, sliced or crushed.
Let them brown, then remove them.
Add tomato passata to the pan, an equivalent amount of water, and a piece of spicy red chili pepper to taste.
As soon as it starts to boil, salt and lower the flame.Cover with a lid, leaving a side vent.
Let it cook for about 10 minutes until it starts to emit a cooked aroma.
At this point, add the drained turnip to the pan, cover again, and stew for about 15 minutes or until the vegetable is tender and the sauce has reduced.
Meanwhile, place the pot containing the turnip’s cooking water on the heat.
Cook the pasta in it, keeping it quite al dente.Drain it and toss it in the sauce, turning the heat on and stirring after adding grated Parmesan, or for a stronger flavor, grated caciocavallo.
Serve the dish hot.
The pasta with Aci turnip is now ready.
Storage
The sauce ready to dress the pasta can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container, for about two days. Reheat before use.
The sauce ready to dress the pasta can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container, for about two days. Reheat before use.
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