Updated 28 July 2022
Parsnips can be mashed with potatoes, roasted with other root vegetables in olive oil, butter and herbs or as a sauce for pasta. Yep that’s right! Here is a seasonal dish I created in about 2008 using freshly dug plump parsnips that our then neighbours, “The Lewises”, regularly shared with us. Our dear farming friends now share a parcel of perfect parsnips with us every now and then. So this recipe is to honour all of them. 🙂 The combination of parsnip, bacon and sage is quite delicious and the macadamias give it a crunch. Omit bacon if vegetarian. You can cook this dish with quality dry linguine or spaghetti pasta. As you know, I am very fond of combining flavours and textures to create delicious food. Make twice the amount and freeze. Thaw and heat before adding to hot cooked pasta. I hope you will enjoy the combination of flavours as much as we do. Accompany with a glass of red Spanish Tempranillo or Merlot. Or white, lightly wooded Chardonnay, Marsanne or Semillon.
Happy cooking! Sylvia xx
INGREDIENTS Serves 4
150g-200g quality Linguine or other dry pasta of your choice
4 Tablespoons olive oil and a knob or two of butter
260g-300g parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped (if there is a hard core remove it before chopping)
80g-100g lean bacon loin cut into small julienne strips/batons
3 garlic cloves finely chopped
100g-120g macadamias, roughly chopped
2-3cm piece dry chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped (optional)
2-3 Tablespoons sage leaves finely shredded or thyme leaves chopped
Extra butter and extra virgin olive oil for sauce
Lemon juice to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated or crumbled Parmigiano Reggiano to serve
METHOD
- Cook the pasta till al dente. Whilst the pasta is cooking make the sauce.
- Heat a frypan on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and butter. When the butter begins to sizzle add the roughly chopped parsnip. Stir around the pan to coat with the oil and butter. Cook until the parsnip turns golden.
- Turn heat down to medium. Add the bacon, garlic, macadamias, dried chilli (if using), sage/thyme and nutmeg. Add more olive oil and butter as required.
- Stir to combine all ingredients well and cook for a few minutes to develop flavour. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and lemon juice to taste and balance flavours.
- Once the pasta is cooked remove it from the saucepan with tongs and add it to the frypan with the parsnip mixture.
- Add 2-3 Tablespoons pasta cooking water to moisten the sauce.
- Mix in 1-2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan. Stir well to combine all ingredients.
- Leave to cook through on low heat for a few minutes to develop the flavour into the pasta. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Serve in warmed pasta bowls and dress with freshly grated or crumbled Parmigiano Reggiano/Parmesan.
- Accompany with a mixed leaf and herb salad.
Buona!
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