Sweet Potato Cream Pasta with Crispy Kale.
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. Ā
Sweet Potato Cream Pasta with Crispy KaleĀ
[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.
We definitely deserve chocolate after all of those vegetables.
171 Comments on “Sweet Potato Cream Pasta with Crispy Kale.”
and my sweet potato obsession continues. . . want this RIGHT NOW.
Oh that looks delicious! I LOVE your pictures!
These pictures are causing me to drool at my desk. This pasta looks hands down delicious. I love the addition of kale! Thanks for sharing!
This looks so delicious. Crave worthy! My family loves kale. Great recipe.
Oh, my yum.
Hey! I have a Crispy Kale recipe going up on my blog too! Great minds, eh? I’ve been eating it like popcorn….
This dish looks AMAZING. I love the sweet potato pasta combo. Your photography, too, is just outstanding!
This proves that sweet potato anything is amazing. And with pasta? Even more amazing. If that’s even possible.
This post made me laugh so much! And it made me curious to test this… if I find “that green stuff” anywhere in Switzerland. x
Mmmm, that looks so delightful. I haven’t made pasta for myself in a loooong time. I need to make something comforting now that I’m a sicky sickerson.
sweet potato-quenched noodles sound like heaven. Literal heaven. Is this real life?
Okay…. this is a little weird, but in a great way. And i can’t think of much better than combining pasta w sweet potatoes.
I love the color on this though I think I would have been a wee bit more naughty and stirred in a generous amount of mascarpone cheese. Mmmm.
mmmm, I love sweet potatoes in any form…
Oooh, yum! Kale has been on my to-cook list for forever, but this pushes it right to the top!
Sweet potatoes and kale on pasta… can’t ask for anything better! You are awesome!
I have become so addicted to sweet potatoes, I must try this!
I love kale! This pasta looks amazing, I’d eat a bowlful right now!
I made this tonight! What a great, inventive recipe! I added some cayenne red pepper for some kick and it turned out great. Thanks! :)
Okay, SERIOUSLY my hero! We have your recipes for dinner at least three times a week. You are brilliant!
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Looks delish! I shudder at the kale though lol
Brilliant use of sweet potatoes — and I am so glad you love (tolerate) kale :D
Okay, this looks really, really good! Although I’m not a kale fan… But the rest ~ ah-mazing! I never would have come up with the combo. Thanks for sharing!
What a fun combination of flavors going on. Love this recipe.
I haven’t seen a dish that has made me truly crave pasta in quite some time, until I saw this! Oh my gosh, delicious. I love the idea of adding crispy kale as well, what a great textural contrast. :)
This looks amazing!
well isnt this just starchy deliciousness!
I will be making this soon! I have a bunch of kale and I think this is a great recipe.
Ohmygoodness that looks good. I recently discovered kale chips (and am obsessed), so I can only imagine how good they would be with a creamy pasta!
This sounds so creamy and wonderful!
I’m making this for dinner tonight
Ha! I was actually planning on baking a sweet potato for dinner tonight. This looks like a much more appetizing and creative way of sating that craving though. Like grown-up mac n’ cheese–Love it!
This looks great Jessica! I made a gluten free version last night and it was delish!! Although quick question… where do we use the additional 1/2 C of cheese? In the pasta? Thanks!
-Caroline
It goes in the sweet potato sauce – it’s listed near the end of the recipe!
Thanks! So good!!
Making this tonight! I’ll report back with how it goes :)
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I’m thinking of making this for dinner, but wanted to make it a baked pasta dish instead. Do you think using a smaller noodle, putting it a casserole dish, covering it in more cheese and baking it would result in something awesome?
Oooh yes… I do! You might want to add a little more milk/cheese to the sauce (and subsequent seasonings if needed) otherwise it might be on the dry side. Also not sure if you were planning on including the kale, but I doubt it would stay crunchy after baking so you could always just toss it in raw.
Have you been nosing through my pantry? :) Now I know what to do with the kale and sweet potatoes I have just sitting around waiting for inspiration!
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Just made it. Love, love the kale! The sauce was a little rich for my taste- if I make it again, I think I’d add more milk to thin it out, some lemon juice to brighten it, and maybe some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to spice it up.
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Do you reckon you could do this with butternut squash instead of sweet potato? I really want to eat it but I only have squash at home!
This is fabulous! I made one batch the way you wrote it, and one batch completely gluten and dairy free. They are awesome. Thanks!!
I would love to know the recipe for your gluten and dairy free version is of this!
Just made this – absolutely delicious!! While I enjoy the contrast of the spicy kale and the creamy pasta, when I make it again I might experiment with a different kind of oil.
I loved it, but my family did not. They all ate it, so that was good. Whenever I try a new recipe I always ask my family if this is a meal that would make the “once a week.” That’s how we rate meals at our house. I am not going to give up yet though. I am going to try and puree it a little bit more. I love the added kale on top. I just love kale chips, so that was a a great way to use those in a meal. I used just plain olive oil, not sure about the sesame.
This looks really yummy! AND you’re funny with all your comments about being so weird — I’m weird too! BUT I like lots of veggies ;) Thanks for the creative idea!!
I figured I would experiment and try making this dish… Made it tonight and it is delicious! The kale chips are addicting haha thank god their healthy :p thank you for sharing this!
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Looks yummy! 2 Super Foods with their powers combined :-) Plus cheese & pasta, can’t go wrong. Please stop by my blog if you have a chance: http://detroittokyo.wordpress.com. Have a great weekend!
Your dish looks delish! I can’t wait to try this…
Great post!
Looks very good! We named our son ‘Cael’… close eh?