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Roasted Rutabaga and Pears with Browned Butter, Honey and Rosemary

Roasted Rutabaga and Pears with Browned Butter, Honey and Rosemary

By Rose HattabaughNovember 23, 2021

  • Makes
    6 servings
  • Cook Time
    45 minutes
  • Rating

The sturdy, purple-shouldered root vegetable known as rutabaga also goes by the name swede or yellow turnip. Its interior is yellow-orange and its flavor earthy-sweet. Oven-roasting these roots is an easy way to render them tender on the inside and caramelized on the exterior. We pair rutabaga with piney rosemary and ripe but firm pears, adding the fruit about two-thirds into roasting so they become tender but not overdone. Nutty browned butter with honey and vinegar swirled in dresses the mixture for a sweet-tart finish.

Tip

Don’t confuse rutabagas with turnips. They’re very different in both flavor and size. Whereas turnips are spicy and punchy like radishes and measure just a few inches in diameter, rutabagas are mild and sweet and often are larger than a softball.

Ingredients
  • 5

    tablespoons salted butter

  • 4

    teaspoons minced fresh rosemary, divided

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 1 ½

    pounds rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

  • 2

    ripe but firm Bosc pears (about 1 pound), unpeeled, quartered, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 1

    tablespoon honey, plus more to serve (optional)

  • 1

    teaspoon sherry vinegar OR cider vinegar OR white wine vinegar

Step 1

Heat the oven to 475°F with a rack in the middle position. Mist a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a small saucepan over medium, melt the butter; remove from the heat and set aside.

Step 2

In a large bowl, stir together 3 teaspoons of rosemary, ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper and 2 tablespoons of melted butter.

Add the rutabaga and toss to coat, then distribute in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet; reserve the bowl. Roast the rutabaga for 20 minutes.

Step 3

Meanwhile, in the same bowl, toss the pears with 1 tablespoon of the remaining melted butter; set aside.

Set the pan with the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter over medium and cook the butter, occasionally swirling the pan, until the milk solids at the bottom are golden brown and the butter has a nutty aroma, about 1 minute.

Off heat, whisk in the remaining 1 teaspoon rosemary, the honey, vinegar and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper; cover and set aside.

Step 4

When the rutabaga has roasted for 20 minutes, add the pears to the baking sheet and toss to combine with the rutabaga.

Roast until a skewer inserted into the rutabaga and pears meets no resistance and the rutabaga is well browned, 10 to 12 minutes; stir once about halfway through.

Step 5

Remove the baking sheet from the oven, immediately drizzle the rutabaga and pears with the browned butter mixture and toss to coat.

Taste and season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a serving dish. If desired, drizzle with additional honey.