This Creamy Vegan Sweet Potato Pasta Skillet dinner recipe features thick rigatoni noodles, silky-smooth sweet potato-coconut cream sauce, and cheesy flavors without any dairy!
Creamy Vegan Sweet Potato Pasta Skillet
Make the creamiest vegan Sweet Potato Pasta Skillet with rigatoni, sweet potato-coconut cream sauce, herbs, and a bit of spice for dinner tonight.
I’m all about skillet dinners. If you have a good-quality cast-iron skillet, you can make so many delicious recipes. And pasta just happens to be one of my favorites! This pasta recipe, in particular, happens to be vegan, but it’s so full of creamy, savory and cheesy goodness, non-vegans will go crazy for it too.
The secret is a dynamite combination of sweet potato puree and coconut cream or milk. The sauce coats every nook and cranny of your pasta so every bite is flavor-packed and decadent.
How to Make Creamy Vegan Sweet Potato Pasta
If these photos have you ready to get in the kitchen, start by reading these tips and swaps for the best cheesy vegan pasta skillet:
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to bring this creamy sweet potato pasta skillet to life for dinner tonight:
Rigatoni. You can substitute rigatoni with your favorite pasta shape. For a gluten-free version, simply use gluten-free pasta.
Sweet potato puree. You can buy this canned or make your own by roasting a sweet potato until totally tender and pureeing it in a blender or food processor. Pumpkin puree will also work, though the flavor may not be quite as sweet.
Garlic. This adds a delicious aromatic flavor to compliment the sweetness of your puree.
Nutritional yeast. I think this is a must-have vegan pantry ingredient. It instantly adds umami and cheesy flavor without any dairy.
Flour. I use organic all-purpose flour from Bob’s Red Mill, which is certified vegan. For gluten-free, simply use their gluten-free flour blend to thicken your creamy sweet potato sauce.
Vegetable stock. Make your own or buy organic store-bought stock.
White wine. Opt for a dry white wine in this recipe.
Garlic powder, smoked paprika, and dried parsley. These dried herbs round out the creamy vegan pasta sauce with herbiness, smokiness and a bit of spice.
Roasted broccoli. I love the combination of sweet potato and broccolini. However, you can easily use other roasted veggies if you prefer, such as asparagus, regular broccoli, cauliflower, or Brussel sprouts.
Make-Ahead Vegan Pasta
If you’re meal prepping, you can make a big batch of this sweet potato rigatoni. Divide it between airtight containers and store in the fridge for up to four days. You can heat it up on the stove or in the microwave for a comforting lunch all week long.
Adding Protein
If you’d like to add protein to this vegan dish, it’s easy to do!
If you choose to make this Creamy Vegan Sweet Potato Pasta Skillet or any other recipe from us, be sure to tag us on Instagram at #Orchidsandsweettea so that we can share the love, rate, comment below, + share!
1(16 oz.)package rigatoni pasta (You can substitute w/ your own fave pasta!; See Notes for GF option.)
1 1/2cupssweet potato puree
1TbspExtra virgin olive oil
3garlic cloves, minced
4Tbspsnutritional yeast
1/4cuporganic all-purpose flour
pinch ofground cinnamon
1tspsea salt + black pepper
1(13 oz.) cancoconut cream or milk
1cuporganic vegetable stock
1Tbspwhite cooking wine
1Tbspgarlic powder
1Tbspsmoked paprika
1Tbspdried parsley
1tspred pepper flakes
handful of roasted broccolini
Instructions
To begin, cook pasta according to packaging. NOTE: rigatoni 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’).
In a large skillet on medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté until soft and translucent.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the flour, whisking constantly until well combined and everything looks like paste.
Slowly add in the milk or cream, continuing to whisk as it thickens. Once fully added, add in the veggie stock along with the following: seasonings, nutritional yeast, pinch of cinnamon, sea salt, + black pepper, white cooking wine, and sweet potato puree. Continue to whisk until full combined and the sauce looks smooth and begins to thicken. Add in the roasted broccolini and stir to incorporate.
Let simmer (while stirring with a wooden spoon) for another 3-4 minutes.
When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the sauce, stirring until sauce fully coats + sticks to pasta. Remove from heat and serve.
Bon Appetit!
Tips & Tricks
STORAGE: Any leftovers can be kept in a tightly sealed container and refrigerated for up to 3-4 days.GLUTEN-FREE: To make this dish GF, simply use Gluten-Free pasta. PASTA: You can use long pastas like Pappardelle, Fettuccine, etc. however, I would recommend tossing with tongs to ensure that pasta is fully manageable and fully coated.Otherwise, other pastas such as Penne, Rigatoni, etc. are perfect.
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Hi – how to make the sauce GF? It calls for 1/4 C of flour. Will GF flour also thicken the sauce adequately!
Hi Lisa! You can use arrowroot starch or GF flour to thick the sauce! 🙂
This is my favorite recipe! So good and so easy to make!
Hi! I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks so much for choosing to make this! 🙂
Tried this recipe and my toddler loved it! It was creamy and delicious! Definitely a must try!
Hi Ashley, I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks so much for choosing to try this recipe! 🙂