Roasted rutabaga is a great lower carb potato substitute with an earthy sweetness and the faint peppery tang of radishes. Serve with roasted meats.
If you haven’t tried rutabaga, I suggest you try this as your first recipe. It’s so delicious my family couldn’t stop eating it the other night. Who would have ever thought that my kids would eat rutabaga? Not me!
Ina Garten will tell you that everyone likes roasted vegetables. Roasting caramelizes the natural sugars in food, bringing out a rich and more concentrated flavor. And nothing could be easier than arranging seasoned vegetables in a pan and letting them do their thing in the oven.
Roasted Rutabagas
Rutabagas are a root vegetable similar to turnips but a little firmer, sweeter, and with a lower water content. Both have an earthy flavor and a slight radish-like tang or bite. When roasted, a rutabaga will texture more squash-like and keeps a firm texture while a turnip becomes more limp when roasted.
I’m always on the lookout for low carb potato alternatives. The most common potato substitute is cauliflower. I use it to make loaded cauliflower, fluffy mashed cauliflower potatoes, and creamy cauliflower mac and cheese casserole. However, I really LOVE rutabaga. Yes, it’s higher in carbs, but if paired with roasted or grilled meats and a salad, it’s fine for a ketogenic low carb diet.
I found that roasting the rutabaga with onions imparts a slight sweetness and smokiness. Rosemary lends a pine-like pungency which is a great foil for the sweet earthiness of rutabagas. And as they roast, the rutabagas deepen in color changing from pale orange to a deep golden orange color.
While we liked the roasted rutabaga right out of the oven, I found that finishing the in a frying pan deepens the flavor even further. Who would have thought that 4 simple ingredients plus salt and pepper could taste so good?
Roasted rutabaga is the perfect accompaniment for rich meaty dishes. We loved it with Mississippi roast and with lamb chops with mint sauce.
Rosemary Roasted Rutabaga
Ingredients
- 1 pound Rutabaga, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 1/4 cup Diced onion (1 oz)
- 1 tbsp Chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/8 tsp Freshly ground pepper
- 1 tbsp Butter or ghee
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F and place rack in middle position. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Toss cubed rutabaga with onion, olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread onto the sheet pan in an even layer. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until fork tender.
- Heat a medium-large frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the butter and swirl to coat the pan. Fry the rutabaga until browned.
- Serve with grilled, pan seared, or roasted meats and a side salad to minimize extra carbs.
- Serves 4 at 7 g net carbs per servings.
Notes
Nutrition
This was better than I expected. I wasn’t sure I liked rutabaga but I’m glad I tried this recipe. It was a little sweet like squash and little like a turnip. I served it with roast chicken for Sunday supper.