Vegan Sweet Potato Pasta w/ Kale + Spinach

This Vegan Sweet Potato Pasta w/ Kale + Spinach is the perfect way to enjoy a good plate of creamy pasta much like the classic Alfredo version, without the dairy and cheese and of course with the amazing texture of Pappardelle noddles. This recipe is easy to make, light, bursting with ‘cheesy flavor’ from the use of nutritional yeast, dairy-free, and so healthy!

OK, so can we talk about how much of a pasta lover I am? Yes. I always have been a fan of pasta from Spaghetti + Meatballs to Penne in Vodka sauce, to Lasagna, and the list goes on. I’m just a sucker for all the ‘saucy’ goodness! Haha.

To be honest, this dish is no different, except the fact that I can actually ENJOY it since it’s dairy-free and vegan! So, if you’ve been an avid follower of Orchids + Sweet Tea, then you’ll know that I began making more and more vegan options due to my minimizing dairy.

At first, like with most change, it was super tough and I feel off the bandwagon a few times. However, once I began trying different techniques to making the same foods that I love, I found it easier to give up dairy.

While, I still eat the occasional cheese here and there, I can truly say that I haven’t really consumed dairy in a large amounts in a while and I don’t miss it much. The awesome thing about discovering and trying different ingredients is that you find other things that work really well as a substitute!

Looking for more Sweet Potato goodness? I’d recommend trying these  Vegan Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls + Maple Pecan Glaze are just perfect! They are fluffy, soft, thick, sweet, and surely does just melt in your mouth with every bite. Not being your typical Cinnamon Roll, this recipe is topped with a mouth-watering Maple Pecan Glaze that will leave you ‘Cinnamon Roll obsessed’.

These Thick + Fluffy Sweet Potato Pancakes are healthy, mostly dairy-free, and is the perfect way to kick-start your day. Whether you want an awesome seasonal flavor or just something sweetly homemade, this recipe makes for a great breakfast or brunch dish in just 25 minutes–total.

When it comes to ‘cheesy’ recipes in the Vegan world, there are so many options to combat this problem. Of course, you can always purchase Vegan cheeses, however, can I be honest? I’m not really a fan. Haha. Personally, I find that Vegan cheeses taste a little blah and the texture is kind of off-putting.

That’s why I choose to look for better substitutes that ‘remind you of cheese’, but may not look like it.

For instance, when looking for creamy options, you can opt in for cashews (which makes for a great ‘cream cheese’ substitute as well), nutritional yeast (which adds great cheesy flavor), Tofu (if you love it!), sweet potatoes (which adds a nice creaminess), Almonds (which makes for a great ‘cream cheese’ substitute also), hemp seeds, and the list goes on.

But as you can see, there are options for most foods, we just have to be creative.

5 Reasons Why You’ll Love This Pasta!

Can I be honest? Once you taste this pasta, you’ll fall in absolute love. Haha. More importantly, here are the reasons why you’ll love it the most:

• It’s Vegan + Plant-based
• Super easy to make and quick (plus, no crazy clean-up! Can we say–Everything in a blender?)
• Cheesy flavor without the cheese!
• Full of flavor + so creamy! (The best reason!)
• Perfect for any time of day—Dinner, Lunch, Breakfast (if that’s your thing), whatever!

Anyway, I’ve been recently thinking about my life’s purpose and how I can add an even greater value to the world than just with my recipes.

After much reflection and thought, I’ve decided to change things up a bit by incorporating my love for writing inspirational pieces into my recipe posts, which will bring things together as a way of “having good conversation over good food”. This stems from my Southern heritage of conversations over sweet tea and I want to incorporate that into the modern day version over “mini therapy sessions” over brunch/lunch.

Hopefully, many of you will love this slight transition and for those who don’t, I completely understand. However, I do believe strongly that adding little bits of solution to the big problem of other people’s lives is the key to connecting to us, so this is my way of bringing both of my gifts to do so.

Therefore, if you would like for a specific topic to be spoken about or you have a story that you’d like for me to address, simply send me an email through our Contact Form and I’ll do so. Please know that everything will remain anonymous so no worries there!

OK, let’s dig into this recipe, shall we?

To begin, cook pasta according to packaging. NOTE: Pappardelle pasta doesn’t take a long time to cook, usually 8-10 minutes (however, you should cook at 6-8 minutes or so—‘al dente’).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, add kale and spinach to a foil paper and drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, baking until they shrink and roast through, about 7-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet on medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent. Add garlic and sauté for another minute.

Remove the onions and garlic from the skillet and add them to a blender along with the cooked sweet potatoes, cashews, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, juice of a lemon, sea salt, and black pepper.

Blend it together in a high-powered blender for 2-3 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Add additional seasoning to taste.

Pour the sauce into the previous large skillet and warm on medium-high heat until bubbly. When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the sauce, stirring until sauce fully coats + sticks to pasta. Add roasted kale + spinach to pasta and stir in until well incorporated.

Serve your pasta in prepared dishes, garnish with Walnuts (optional), and lightly sprinkle with additional nutritional yeast (or vegan parmesan cheese) if desired.

Bon Appetite!

Vegan Sweet Potato Pasta w/ Kale + Spinach

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 20 mins

Serves: 4 servings

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Ingredients

• 1 (16 oz.) package Pappardelle pasta (You can substitute for your own fave pasta!)
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, roasted (See Notes)
• 1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup cashews, soaked overnight (See Notes!)
• 1 cup fresh water
• 2-3 Tbsps nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 Tbsp juice of a lemon
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 cup kale, de-stemmed + chopped
• 1 cup spinach
• handful of walnuts, optional

Instructions

• To begin, cook pasta according to packaging. NOTE: Pappardelle pasta doesn’t take a long time to cook, usually 8-10 minutes (however, you should cook at 6-8 minutes or so—‘al dente’).
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, add kale and spinach to a foil paper and drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, baking until they shrink and roast through, about 7-10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet on medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent. Add garlic and sauté for another minute.
• Remove the onions and garlic from the skillet and add them to a blender along with the cooked sweet potatoes, cashews, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, juice of a lemon, sea salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper and water.
• Blend it together in a high-powered blender (starting off on low speed to be careful!) for 2-3 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Add additional seasoning to taste. **NOTE: sauce should be thick, but creamy enough to handle + pour over pasta)**
• Pour the sauce into the previous large skillet and warm on medium-high heat until bubbly. When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the sauce, stirring until sauce fully coats + sticks to pasta. Add roasted kale + spinach to pasta and stir in until well incorporated.
• Serve your pasta in prepared dishes, garnish with Walnuts (optional), and lightly sprinkle with additional nutritional yeast (or vegan parmesan cheese) if desired.
• Bon Appetite!

Tips & Tricks

SWEET POTATOES: Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Rinse sweet potato and pat dry. Lightly coat potato with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and place in oven, baking for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until tender and juices begin to bubble outside of skin. Remove from oven, let cool for 10-15 minutes and slice in half. Remove sweet potato insides and place in a bowl, mashing it until “pureed”. Continue recipe.

SOAKED CASHEWS: Add cashews to a bowl or measuring cup, cover with fresh cold water and cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temp overnight. If soaking for 3-4 hours, add cashews to measuring cup and cover with boiling water instead.

STORAGE: Any leftovers can be kept in a tightly sealed container and refrigerated for up to 3-4 days.

 

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Vegan Sweet Potato Pasta w/ Kale + Spinach.

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