I come from a family that loves rutabagas. Maybe its the Scandinavian in us, but simply mashing the cooked root with some butter and salt makes us all very happy. But did you know there are many creative things to do with these plain-looking vegetables? Try any one of these, or use them in root vegetable linguine (recipe below).

• Rutabaga fries with garlic-lemon aioli
• Rutabaga hash (it’s good for breakfast, lunch or dinner, in my opinion)
• Creamy, smoky whipped rutabaga
• Add them to stews, soups and roasts alongside potatoes, carrots, and celery
• Or shred them and make them the base to your favorite frittata or quiche recipe

Root vegetable linguine is simple, yet genius. although I can’t take credit for the idea. This meal was brought to my attention by Andrea Chesman, in her incredible cookbook, “Recipes from the Root Cellar.” Here’s what you’ll need (recipe serves 4 people as a main dish):

1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil

4 Cups peeled and shredded mixed root vegetables (rutabagas, carrots, beets, celery root, parsnips, turnips)

1 medium yellow onion, sliced thinly

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 Cup broth (vegetable or chicken)

1/2 Cup dry white wine

1 pound linguine

4 Tablespoons butter, diced

Salt and pepper

Boil the pasta in water. Meanwhile, sautee the roots, onion, and garlic in the oil until tender (about 8 minutes). Add the broth and wine and bring to a boil, then simmer until the noodles are done. Drain the pasta, but reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Toss the pasta with the butter, then add the vegetable-broth mixture. Add some of the cooking water if more liquid is needed. Season with salt and pepper.