Cheesy Pasta with Shredded Kohlrabi
Cheesy Pasta w/ Shredded Kohlrabi is quick, tasty & nutritious. Did you know shredded kohlrabi looks almost exactly like cheese (shh)! 
Are all Moms sneaky? In my own defense, I did confess before my youngest (aka my “picky daughter”) took her first bite of what is now affectionately known as Sneaky Kohlrabi in Cheesy Pasta.
Yes, I’m not sure how I realized it but grated kohlrabi looks about as close as you can get to grated cheese once cooked and tossed with warm fettuccini! In fact it looked so soft and creamy, it had me believing it was a rich comfort food too.
And, gotta admit (see below), they even look similar raw!
Originally posted in 2015, I decided it was time for an update when my blogging friends decided to do easy weeknight meals (see below for more).
Step by Step Directions
Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente, about 10 minutes. 
While pasta is cooking, sautee minced garlic in butter for a couple minutes. Do not let brown. Add grated kohlrabi and simmer while pasta finishes.
When pasta is cooked, drain it, then toss with kohlrabi mixture, stirring to break up clumps (the kohlrabi even clumps like grated cheese).
Add cheese and stir again to distribute well. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. 
Eating Kohlrabi
This all started because finishing up Kohlrabi was a challenge in our household. You see, we do two CSAs which means I can easily have a half dozen of the colorful orbs in my basement refrigerator! Sure you can eat it raw, but HOW MUCH can you really take care of that way?
Kohlrabi Nutrition
Now given kohlrabi’s good nutrition profile, I certainly didn’t want it to end up in the compost bin–per Healthline, one cup has almost 100% or the RDA of vitamin C, plus B6 fiber and more! Even the name belies its relationship to the healthy turnip and cabbage, coming “from the German Kohl (“cabbage”) plus Rübe ~ Rabi (Swiss German variant) (“turnip”).” (source Wikipedia) 
Other uses for Kohlrabi
While practically everyone knows about eating Kohlrabi raw, fewer know that it is delicious cooked. I will toss pieces into any roasted vegetable dish and even featured it in this Pan-Roasted Kohlrabi and Radishes (also super easy)!
I also like to use kohlrabi (or turnips) instead of potatoes in soups that are going to be frozen. Potatoes can sometimes get overly soft and fall apart after freezing but kohlrabi holds together beautifully!
How I peel Kohlrabi easily
I used to try to peel a whole kohlrabi like an apple–and this wasn’t fun. Now I slice off the stem and flower ends, then slice the rest into 3/4 inch slices. Those slices peel very easily, and the slice is a great size to chop up or shred for your recipes. 
Pasta Selection
I use fettuccini when I make this. Somehow I feel the longer noodle (versus something like the short twisty fusilli), aligns well with the kohlrabi shreds (aka disguises them). But truly, use anything that works for you.
I also generally use organic whole wheat pasta now. Years ago when I made that conversion, I tried a half dozen brands before settling on one I really liked. A number we tried were mealy or bitter, though I believe the options are a lot better now. But if you think you don’t like whole wheat, I urge you to at least try a few before giving up. 
What Else to Serve
This recipe is relatively complete all by itself and I serve it alone regularly. But a green salad is always a nice complement to pasta and this would add a second vegetable. To stick with the “easy” theme, you can even use a bagged salad!
While I am generally pretty full after eating this, a teenage athlete or really nice husband who just put in a new garden bed might enjoy a crusty plain or garlic bread. Even a garlic scape garlic bread if you want to use more of your CSA box/garden harvest!
Yes, this Cheesy Pasta with Shredded Kohlrabi was just as tasty as I remembered. And in case you’re wondering, yes I have six Kohlrabi in my basement fridge right now.
Get More Super Simple Weeknight Recipes:
- Bruschetta Chicken by That Recipe
- Cheesy Pasta with Shredded Kohlrabi by Art of Natural Living
- Easy One Pot Mexican Beans and Rice by Magical Ingredients
- Easy Skillet Chicken Pot Pie by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Ham and Cheddar Carbonara by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Honey BBQ Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin by Family Around the Table
- Pepper Steak by Palatable Pastime
- Sheet Pan Bacon Wrapped Mustard Chicken with Broccoli and Potatoes by The Spiffy Cookie
- Slow Cooker Hot Beef Sandwiches by Cheese Curd In Paradise
We share Recipes From Our Dinner Table! Join our group and share your recipes, too! While you’re at it, follow our Pinterest board too!
Sneaky Kohlrabi & Cheese Fettuccini
Ingredients
- 4 ounces whole wheat fettuccini
- 2 Tablespoon butter see note
- 1-2 large garlic clove minced
- 1/2 large kohlrabi peeled and grated
- 1/2 cup grated gouda
- salt pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente, about 10 minutes.
- While pasta is cooking, sautee minced garlic in butter for a couple minutes. Do not let brown. Add grated kohlrabi and simmer while pasta finishes.
- When pasta is cooked, drain it, then toss with kohlrabi mixture, stirring to break up clumps (the kohlrabi even clumps like grated cheese).
- Add cheese and stir again to distribute well. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
What a funny way to sneak in some extra veg in a dinner. I never would have though of kohlrabi looking like Parmesan, but it does!
Yes, this was way more effective than sneaking beets into chocolate cake 😉
I used to get kohlrabi from my CSA every summer and always had to look for recipes so I could figure out how to use it. My favorite was a red lentil Kohlrabi soup. Yours is such a great idea mixing it into the pasta.
Sometimes it just takes a couple of good recipes, right Judee! Kale always used to be my problem child. Red lentil kohlrabi soup sounds wonderful–I’ll have to do a search!
I love the tips on how to peel the kohlrabi! This sounds delicious!
Thanks Ashley!
I’ve never had kohlrabi. It looks delicious, I mean who can resist cheese and pasta?!
It just disappears into the cheese too!
One word for this recipe – WOW! This is amazing and super delicious
Thanks! I love having a simple recipe that tastes good and is healthy!
This is a great idea to use kohlrabi. I would love to try it.
We love it!
I never know what to do with kohlrabi but this sounds really tasty!
I struggled with using kohlrabi for a long time too. It’s really easy this way though!
Very clever! Who would have thought? I love broccolini and cima di rape in my pasta, so why not kohlrabi? Definitely will try this. Thanks!
I’ve done this with broccoli too–delicious! Though it’s much harder for broccoli to go incognito!
What a great way to sneak nutrition into cheesy fettuccine, Inger! It looks delicious! I’ll have to give it a try.
Thanks Thao. I’d love to hear how it goes if you do get a chance to try it.
You never told us whether your youngest liked it!
I must admit that I’m still warming up to raw kale, although cooked kale is terrific.
She did like it! You know I was pretty leery about raw kale too until I had a salad containing it at a party. I think that’s what gave me the nerve to put it in my tabbouleh (that and parsley is such a pain to de-stem).
love kohlrabi and would never put it in the category of turnips 🙂 This is terrific and I would also confess but think the flavor is so delicate that it is worthy of so much. I love kohrabi soup.
I suppose the the delicateness of flavor is why it works so well with the cheese. I’ll have to look for soup recipes–the season is young!
Wow – this recipe was perfect timing! We were just discussing what one does with kohlrabi. I grew up eating it raw, but the husband was not very thrilled when I served it to him like that. I knew there had to be a recipe out there for it. 🙂
I was eating some raw, but I agree with your husband–there is only so much you can get through that way. Glad to hear you are giving a CSA a try again–and the kids will be more help with volume in a few years 😉