Sweet Potato Cream Pasta with Crispy Kale.

March 5, 2012

Ohhh dinner. I can’t even take you.

We have, like noodles… covered in even more starch. It’s fabulous. It’s creamy. It’s sort of sweet but in that really realllllly good way.

And a bit cheesy too.

Basically everything I want in life besides a little bacon sprinkled on top.

I’m on a biiiiiig sweet potato kick right now.

Oh! And the green stuff? Yeah. I know. Weird. Fancy meeting you here.

Now please go away.

But if you remember, kale falls into the category of about three vegetables I can stand. Which makes me and my life even weirder.

And I’m obsessed with roasting it after it’s been smothered with toasted sesame oil, which I took from that amazing coconut kale salad of Heidi’s that I’ve been eating at least once a week for well over 6 months. As the only dish that’s successfully made me consume kale in a way other than chip form, I bow down to the combination. And now… smashed in between these sweet potato-quenched noodles, it’s just like… the best flavor marriage EVER. A complete happy accident. I’m now the weirdest.

But at least dinner is served.

Sweet Potato Cream Pasta with Crispy Kale

[kale in the pasta idea came from rachael ray]

serves 2-4

1 large sweet potato, cooked and mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 shallot, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 tablespoon flour

1 1/2 cups skim milk

1/2 cup freshly grated romano cheese + 2 tablespoons

1/2 pound whole wheat pasta (preferably noodles)

1 head of kale, leaves torn from stems

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, add kale, sesame oil, 2 tablespoons romano cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss to coat with your hands and massage kale for 1-2 minutes, until flavors are distributed. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes, tossing 1-2 times while cooking, until crispy. Remove and set aside.

Bring pasta water to a boil and prepare pasta according to directions.

While kale is cooking, heat olive oil and butter oven medium-low heat in a large skillet. Add in shallots and garlic with a pinch of salt, cooking for 4-5 minutes until soft and translucent. Increase heat to medium and add in flour, whisking constantly to create somewhat of a roux. Once the roux has turned golden, add in mashed sweet potato and milk, whisking to combine. It will take a few minutes of whisking to bring the mixture together, and it’s okay if a few small bits of potato remain. Let the mixture come to a simmer in order for it to thicken a bit, but be careful because it thickens quickly. If it becomes too thick, simply add a little milk to thin it out. Reduce heat to low and stir in romano, remaining salt and pepper.

Once pasta is finished cooking, add noodles directly into the sweet potato sauce. Let sit for a few minutes, then transfer everything to a large bowl. Top with crispy kale and toss to distribute.