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Vegan Sweet Potato Cream Pasta
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4.60 from 5 votes

VEGAN SWEET POTATO CREAM PASTA

Comfort, ease, and nourishing goodness all wrapped up in one creamy, luxurious, 7-ingredient pasta. Sweet potatoes are boiled until fork tender and then blended until smooth with almond milk, garlic, nutritional yeast, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. The sauce is simmered for just 3 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Then, it's tossed with heaps of warm pasta (gluten-free, if you please), yielding a dish that's just as satisfying as it is nourishing. The flavor of the sauce is intended to be soft and delicate (think vegan bechamel—aka "basic cream sauce"—with a subtle hint of sweet potato). I love it as is with a sprinkle of vegan parmesan, but perhaps you'll prefer a more amped-up flavor. In that case, feel free to add fresh or dried herbs or up the seasoning.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Bigger Bites, Entrée, Pasta
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, plant-based, Vegan
Servings: 4
Author: Ashley

Ingredients

Pasta

  • 12 ounces regular or gluten-free tagliatelle or linguine

Vegan Sweet Potato Cream Sauce

  • 2 cups (12oz. or 340g) peeled and cubed sweet potatoes (about 1 medium sweet potato, but be sure to measure)
  • 1 ¼ cups plain unsweetened plant-based milk (I use almond milk), plus more if needed to thin
  • 1 to 2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes, plus more to taste if desired
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Vegan parmesan cheese, to taste (see notes for recipe)

Instructions

For the Pasta

  • Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. (As they say, your pasta water should be as salty as the sea.)
  • Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package instructions.
  • Drain and set aside.

For the Vegan Sweet Potato Cream Sauce

  • Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the sweet potatoes to the pot and boil for 10 minutes, or until very fork-tender. Strain off the water.
  • Add the boiled sweet potatoes, plant-based milk, garlic, nutritional yeast, olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper to a high-speed blender.
  • Blend on high for 1 to 2 minutes, or until smooth and creamy.
  • Pour the sauce into a large sauté pan. Heat over medium heat and whisk constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

To Assemble

  • Add the pasta to the pan and toss to coat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook for 2 minutes, or until the sauce clings to the pasta. If the sauce is too thick, add more plant-based milk, a couple tablespoons at a time, to thin to desired texture. (Note: if you add more plant-based milk, you'll need to adjust the seasoning, adding more sea salt and black pepper to taste than you would had you not thinned the sauce.)
  • Remove from the heat.
  • Taste and generously season with more sea salt and black pepper, to taste. Liberally sprinkle with vegan parmesan (see note* for recipe).
  • Serve immediately. 

Notes

*Vegan parmesan: To a small food processor, add ¼ cup raw nuts (e.g., almonds, cashews) or seeds (e.g., pepitas, sunflower seeds), 2 tablespoons to 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes, and sea salt to taste. Pulse until the nuts/seeds are finely ground and the mixture resembles finely grated parmesan. Transfer to an airtight jar or container and refrigerate for up to two weeks.