Enjoy this rich, creamy sweet potato pasta recipe! The smooth sweet potato pasta sauce is quick to make, especially with a food processor. It’s the perfect comforting meal for busy weeknights!
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I absolutely love this pasta with sweet potato sauce recipe—it’s a real lifesaver! I can roast the sweet potatoes and garlic the night before.
When it’s time to eat, I simply cook the pasta, blend the sauce in the food processor, and combine everything. So easy!
It’s a family favourite, and the taste is simply incredible!
👩🍳 Love cheesy pasta recipes? Try my baked feta pasta recipe next!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- Decadent and creamy potato pasta recipe that delivers ultimate comfort and flavour.
- Easy to make with simple instructions.
- Ready in just 40 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights
- Customise with your favourite vegetables to boost nutrition and enhance flavour
Amazing dish! I used chicken stock instead of pasta water and added crushed red pepper. It was amazing!
- Connie
🛒 Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes - 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 3cm chunks.
Olive Oil - for roasting.
Garlic Cloves - 4 cloves with skin on.
Seasonings - 1 teaspoon each of smoked paprika, sea salt, and dried thyme.
Double Cream - to make the creamy pasta sauce.
Parmesan - or vegetarian hard cheese alternative
Pasta - I use spaghetti or linguine, but you could also use rigatoni or penne.
Parsley - optional for garnish.
Delicious! Roasted some onions and added those in too and a dash of cayenne for a subtle heat.
- Julie
🔪 How to make sweet potato pasta
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Preheat your oven and place the chopped sweet potato and garlic cloves in a roasting tin. Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with smoked paprika, salt, and thyme. Roast for about 30 minutes, or until the sweet potato is tender. To save time, you can prepare this the night before.
Two: While the sweet potato is roasting, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Remember to reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining. After draining, return the cooked pasta to the pan and set aside.
Three: Once the sweet potato and garlic are roasted, squeeze the garlic out of its skins and add it, along with the sweet potato, double cream, and grated Parmesan, to a food processor. Blend until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, gradually add a couple of tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water to reach your desired consistency.
💡 Top Tip: If you don’t have a food processor, you can mash the sweet potato with the double cream, garlic, and Parmesan. The sauce will have a slightly chunkier texture, but it will still be delicious!
Four: Pour the sweet potato sauce into the pan with the cooked pasta and stir well to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add more reserved pasta cooking water as needed to achieve a glossy consistency.
Five: Serve the pasta topped with extra grated Parmesan and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.
Top Tips
- Remember to reserve a cup of pasta cooking water before draining. This water helps the sauce emulsify, resulting in a glossy and smooth finish!
- For a time-saving tip, roast the sweet potato and garlic the night before. Simply store them in the fridge until you’re ready to use them.
- Make this dish vegan by substituting the double cream with coconut cream and using a vegan hard cheese alternative in place of Parmesan.
🍴 Serving suggestions
This creamy potato pasta is hearty and filling on its own, but pairs well with homemade focaccia.
For a nutritious addition, serve it with some air fryer broccoli, or roasted courgettes.
📖 Variations
- Transform this dish into a delicious sweet potato pasta bake by using a short pasta instead of spaghetti. Top it with breadcrumbs and mozzarella, then bake until golden and bubbling!
- Boost the vegetable content and add baby spinach, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, or peas!
- Add leftover roast meat such as beef, lamb or air fryer chicken breasts.
- Reduce calories by substituting low-fat crème fraîche for the double cream. Just be sure to use a bit more pasta cooking water to achieve the desired sauce consistency.
🥡 Storage
Store - Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat - Microwave the pasta until it is piping hot throughout.
Freeze - The sauce can be frozen for later use. Transfer it to a freezer-safe container and store for up to 3 months.
❓ FAQs
Sweet potatoes are packed with nutrients such as vitamin A, and also lower in calories and carbohydrates than white potatoes. However, this recipe uses cream and Parmesan so is not considered a healthy pasta dish (it tastes amazing though!).
In this recipe, you do need to peel the sweet potatoes prior to roasting to ensure the pasta sauce is as smooth and glossy as possible.
You could boil the sweet potatoes instead of roasting them, but a lot of the flavours of the dish come from the seasonings and garlic cloves in the roasting tin.
😋 More pasta recipes you might like
- Creamy chorizo and prawn pasta
- Creamy garlic mushroom pasta
- Angel hair pasta with garlic and herbs
- Hot smoked salmon and asparagus pasta
- 30 minute baked tortellini
- Creamy boursin pasta
- Gnocchi with creamy blue cheese sauce
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Recipe
Creamy Sweet Potato Pasta
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Equipment
- Chopping Board
- Knife
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 Sweet Potatoes peeled and cut into 3cm chunks
- 4 Garlic Cloves leave in skins for roasting
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 150 ml Double Cream
- 50 g Parmesan grated
- 250 g Spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon Parsley chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200℃ (180° fan/ gas 4/ 350℉). Place the chopped sweet potato and garlic cloves in a roasting tin. Coat in the olive oil then sprinkle over the smoked paprika, salt, and thyme. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until the sweet potato is tender. You can do this the night before to save time!2 Sweet Potatoes, 4 Garlic Cloves, 2 tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 teaspoon Sea Salt, 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika, 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- While the sweet potato is roasting, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Remember to reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining. After draining, return the cooked pasta to the pan and set aside.250 g Spaghetti
- Once the sweet potato and garlic are roasted, squeeze the garlic out of its skins and add it, along with the sweet potato, double cream, and grated Parmesan, to a food processor. Blend until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, gradually add a couple of tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water to reach your desired consistency. If you don't have a food processor you can mash the sweet potato with the double cream, garlic, and Parmesan. It will be a slightly chunkier textured sauce, but will still taste great!150 ml Double Cream, 50 g Parmesan
- Pour the sweet potato sauce into the pan with the cooked pasta and stir well to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add more reserved pasta cooking water as needed to achieve a glossy consistency.
- Serve with extra grated Parmesan and chopped parsley.1 tablespoon Parsley
Notes
- To Store. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. Microwave until piping hot.
- To Freeze. Only the sauce is suitable for freezing. Place in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Danielle Wolter
What an awesome idea for pasta sauce! This sounds just incredible, I can't wait to try it!
Mandy Applegate
A great pasta dish for all of the family!
Qashang
Omg what an addictive pasta recipe! Loved it.
Claudia Lamascolo
This really sounds delicious going to make this tonight thanks!
Gina
Great healthier idea for a mac and cheese like dish! Love the creaminess the sweet potato brings without all those extra calories!
Connie
Amazing dish! I used chicken stock instead of pasta water and added crushed red pepper. It was amazing!
Julia
Delicious! Roasted some onions and added those in too and a dash of cayenne for a subtle heat.