Bursting with flavor, this sweet potato pasta makes a great option for a quick family dinner in just 15 minutes!
This sweet potato pasta loaded with veggies and flavor, is perfect to feed the whole family on a weeknight dinner and it’s ready in just 15 minutes!
My little Italian family loves pasta, and we eat it regularly, so I like to come up with new pasta recipes to make dinner time more exciting.
This simple pasta with sweet potato recipe delivers a welcomed veggie boost whilst not sacrificing flavor.
You might be surprised, but sweet potato and pasta work so well together.
Incorporating sautéed spinach and crispy prosciutto results in a well-balanced and flavorful dish that will surely delight your palate!
This post is sponsored by the American Sweet Potato Marketing Institute. All opinions are my own.
The best part is that this super simple meal comes together easily in just about 20 minutes, making it a perfect last-minute dinner.
As a bonus, you can easily customize it by adding extra veggies or skipping the prosciutto for a vegan version.
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Sweet potato pasta ingredients
In typical Italian fashion, you need just 5 main ingredients to make this pasta with sweet potato, plus some extra-virgin olive oil.
Choose your ingredients wisely, quality is the key here!
- Pasta: Most pasta shapes work well in this pasta recipe. You can even opt for fresh homemade pasta. If possible, go for bronze-cut pasta made in Italy, Gragnano pasta is my favorite option.
- Prosciutto: Thin strips of crispy Parma ham give this simple pasta an extra layer of flavor. You can substitute it with cooked ham, pancetta or skip it for a vegan pasta option.
- American Sweet Potatoes: Cubed and stir-fried, combine just amazingly well with umami-rich crispy prosciutto and hearty sauteed spinach.
- Spinach: Adds a beautiful color and extra flavor to this simple pasta. you can substitute it with broccolini, green beans, broccoli rabes, or kale.
How to make sweet potato pasta
This delicious and quick pasta with sweet potato recipe is super simple to prepare in just 4 easy steps.
Here below is the step-by-step recipe overview with pictures.
Scroll until the end of the post for the full printable recipe.
STEP 1. Cook the strips of prosciutto over medium heat, until crispy on all sides, then set them aside.
STEP 2. Add the cubed sweet potatoes and onion into the skillet and stir-fry them for 5 minutes, adding a little bit of vegetable stock if necessary.
STEP 3. In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water cook the pasta al dente, about 2-3 minutes earlier than the suggested cooking time on the packaging.
STEP 4. Add the spinach and prosciutto into the skillet with the other veggies, followed by the pasta. Stir to combine, season with freshly-cracked pepper and serve.
Cooking tip: For a creamy sweet potato pasta sauce, blend the sauteed sweet potato cubed with a little hot vegetable stock, season to taste, then combine it with the pasta and other ingredients.
Storage tips
You can store leftover pasta in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Reheat it on the stove with a little extra-virgin olive oil or butter.
More Traditional Italian Pasta Recipes To Try
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Recipe
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Bursting with flavor and loaded with vegetables, this sweet potato pasta makes a great option for a quick family dinner in just 15 minutes!
Serving: 4
Calories: 300kcal
Ingredients
- 4 thin slices of Parma Ham, cut into strips
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ onion, finely minced
- 1 sweet potato, about 250 g/ 8.8 oz, peeled and finely cubed
- 13 oz pasta
- 3 oz baby spinach leaves
- sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
Instructions
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Heat a skillet over medium-low heat, add in the thin strips of prosciutto and let them cook for about 3 minutes, until they’re crispy on all sides. Remove them from the skillet and set them aside.
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Return the skillet to medium heat, add in the extra-virgin olive oil followed by the sweet potato and onion, and cook the vegetables until the sweet potato cubes have slightly softened and are crispy around the edges. Add a splash of water if the vegetables begin to brown too much.
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Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Lightly season with sea salt, then add the pasta and let it cook for about 7-9 minutes.
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Look at the instructions on your pasta packaging. See how long it tells you to boil it for, and drain the pasta three minutes before this time to have it al dente.
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Add the spinach into the skillet with the vegetables, and cook for a further 2 minutes, then add in the crispy prosciutto and turn the heat off. Adjust seasoning by adding a pinch of sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper to taste.
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Drain the pasta al dente, add it to the pan with the vegetables and sauté all the ingredients for one more minute.
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Remove the pan from the heat, season the pasta with freshly cracked black pepper and serve immediately.
Notes
Store leftover pasta in an airtight container, it will keep well in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Ingredient tips:
Customize this easy sweet potato pasta recipe by adding extra ingredients:
- Baby kale or mushrooms – sauteed with the sweet potato.
- Pancetta, bacon, or ham – finely chopped and stir-fried until crispy.
- Red chili flakes – for a nice and spicy kick.
Nutrition
Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 101mg | Potassium: 379mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 9894IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 2mg
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
