Sweet Potato Pasta Sauce is a creamy, thick sauce to dress up pasta. This oil-free sauce is full of flavor and comes together in just 20 minutes! Perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Pasta is a go-to dish for many people. It's quick and easy. You almost always have some sort of pasta sitting in your pantry. Most people enjoy pasta, so you don't have to worry about displeasing picky eaters.
But what do you do with pasta? Sure, you could throw on some salt and pepper and call it a day. That's a little boring though. And could get old after a few meals.
I've been in a bit of a pasta rut myself. I bought a big box, and I have a lot of it lying around.
Jump to:
A month or so ago I made Pad Thai. Which was INCREDIBLE. But honestly, there's a lot of prep work involved in that recipe. When I want something quick, I need an easier option.
I started making myself this Oil-Free Spinach-Mushroom Pasta recipe. It is also one of my favorites. But I wanted to change it up. I wanted something new and different.
I've seen sweet potato pasta sauce recipes before. And, being me, I had a sweet potato on my counter. So I decided to experiment.
Why I love this Sweet Potato Pasta Sauce
- Dietary needs - this recipe is dairy-free, plant-based, oil-free, gluten-free, and sugar-free. It's also very high in fiber.
- Versatile - you can make this sauce to go with pasta. But that's not all - you can serve it as a salad dressing, a pizza sauce, or as a vegan queso
- Quick and easy - it takes about 5 minutes to cook a sweet potato, a couple to cook the shallot, and then another couple minutes to blend everything together
- Whole food ingredients - you could make a vegan version of this sweet potato pasta sauce using cheese and butter and milk. BUT this recipe has so many more nutrients
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Sweet Potato: I prefer to roast my sweet potatoes, because the flavor is MUCH better. But the microwave is a quicker alternative.
- Shallots: I like the subtle flavor of shallots in this recipe, but an onion will work too
- Garlic
- Nut Butter or Cashews: some nut butter or cashews help create a creamy sauce.
- Nutritional Yeast: nutritional yeast is a spice that adds a cheesy flavor. And it's still completely vegan. Find it in the spice aisle.
- Smoked Paprika: smoked paprika creates a sweet, smoky flavor.
- Red Pepper Flakes: we'll just use a pinch - for more spice, feel free to increase the amount. Or sprinkle some on at the end
- Salt & Pepper
- Non-Dairy Milk or Vegetable Broth: non-dairy milk creates a super creamy sauce, but vegetable broth also works and creates more of a savory flavor
How to Make Sweet Potato Pasta Sauce
Step 1. Microwave the sweet potato. Use a fork to pierce, then cook on high for 5-7 minutes, until soft. Alternatively, you can steam or bake in the oven. When cool enough to handle, remove the skins.
Step 2. In a small skillet, sauté the shallots for 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.
Step 3. Transfer the cooked sweet potato, shallots and garlic mixture, nut butter, nutritional yeast, salt, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes to a blender. Blend, adding the milk until the sauce comes together.
Step 4. Season with more salt, to taste, and serve with your favorite pasta. Some of my favorites are chickpea pasta and tofu spaghetti. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. If you want, you can use another nut like almonds or walnuts.
You can also omit the cashews entirely. The sauce won't be as thick and creamy, but still delicious!
If you have butternut squash or pumpkin on hand, feel free to use either of those instead of sweet potato.
Or even cauliflower (like my cauliflower béchamel sauce).
To add some more protein to this dish, you can blend in some beans like chickpeas or white beans. Or even a block of tofu!
And, serve with a chickpea pasta for more protein in your meal.
This sauce will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
You can also freeze the sauce in an air-tight container. Then defrost on the stove over low heat
Recipe Prayer
Thank you God for healthy food. Thank you for letting us feed our bodies with good foods. Amen.
More vegan pasta recipes
Looking for other tasty pasta recipes? Try these next:
More sweet potato recipes
If you love sweet potatoes as much as I do, try some of my favorite sweet potato recipes:
Tried this recipe?
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📖 Recipe
Sweet Potato Pasta Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 Ounces Sweet Potato about 1 large
- 3 Large Shallots or ½ Yellow Onion sliced
- 4 Cloves Garlic minced
- 2 Tablespoons Nut Butter or ¼ Cup Cashews
- 1 Tablespoon Nutritional Yeast
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
- ½ Cup Non-Dairy Milk or Vegetable Broth
- Pasta of choice to serve
Instructions
- Microwave the sweet potato. Use a fork to pierce, then cook on high for 5-7 minutes, until soft. Alternatively, you can steam or bake in the oven. When cool enough to handle, remove the skins.
- In a small skillet, sauté the shallots for 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Transfer the cooked sweet potato, shallots and garlic mixture, nut butter, nutritional yeast, salt, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes to a blender. Blend, adding the milk until the sauce comes together.
- Season with more salt, to taste, and serve with your favorite pasta. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate.
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