Sweet Potato Pasta Sauce
Full of flavour this is a relatively healthy pasta sauce for me! I loved turning this into a salad too, that really is the best way to serve pasta for guests. For another healthy and delicious pasta salad option, check out my Healthy Creamy Ditalini Pasta Salad Recipe.
The ingredients
- Sweet potatoes – I roast them for a silky sweeter texture (you can boil if you prefer).
- Olive oil – I like to use extra virgin olive oil.
- Butter
- Onion – I like to dice it really small as I don’t love big chunks in a sauce.
- Red pepper – Like the onions I dice this really small. I love the flavour it brings.
- Chorizo – I’m over writing ‘diced up into half moon shapes’ every time so I might just start saying ‘chopped up’ in my recipes and you can guess the cutting up shape. Feel free to leave out for a vegetarian dish.
- Tomato paste – Don’t be shy when browning tomato paste, I say 1 – 2 minutes. It develops the flavour, just don’t do it for too long as it can turn metallic tasting.
- Stock – I always use a homemade chicken stock , it really gives the dish so much flavour. Use a vegetarian stock if you prefer.
- Parmesan – Always my secret ingredient in tomato based sauces, just make sure it is finely grated with something like a microplane .
- Salt and pepper – PLEASE always season a sauce with a REALLY light hand, you can always add seasoning, you can’t take it away. It’s easy to over season this sauce as the parmesan isn’t in there in the initial tasting so just go really light, add the parmesan first then taste again.
- Sugar – Remember that parmesan brings A LOT of salt to the table so I like to add a little sweetness with sugar. I personally go REALLY light on the salt seasoning in the final stage of this recipe as I rely on the parmesan to do the heavy lifting and I add some sugar to balance it all out. Get in the habit of adding sweetness to a savory dish, I can’t explain enough what a difference it makes, especially if you are adding a lot of salt.
How to roast the sweet potatoes for this sauce
Why shouldn’t you boil sweet potatoes?
One of my favourite people on Instagram Molly Baz always has A+ methodology when it comes to anything cooking. If you follow me, you will know how much I preach the science behind cooking and just exactly how good Samin Nosrat is a breaking it all down in her book Salt Fat Acid Heat.
You can trust someone like Molly to have gone to a lot of research, hard work and experimenting to bring you the best methods (I have to be honest that is what I LOVE!!) Long story short, sweet potatoes retain a lot of water and act like a sponge. Try boiling half a pound of sweet potatoes and then weigh them when they are drained, they retain a lot of water which is why roasting them flat on a sheet is the best method in my opinion!
Boiling them in water dilutes their flavour and sweetness, it adds nothing to them. Depending on the size of your sweet potatoes they will only take 20 – 25 mins to roast in the oven so if you want a smooth puree don’t bother wasting water and time trying to boil them! Roast them in a 200 degree oven until they are super soft and slightly brown on the outside.
Then what do I do?
The most important step after roasting (or boiling) is allowing them to evaporate and dry out a little which will enhance their natural flavour.
Allow them just to sit in an open bowl on the bench for 15 minutes or so, it really does make a HUGE difference. Puree the hell out of them. I like to whip them by hand or with a stick blender.
Once smooth, season liberally with salt and pepper and throw in a good knob of butter. I like to add a slosh of olive oil for good measure to bring the puree together but you should really be able to taste the sweetness in these bad boys, so don’t add too much!
I often add a good dash of greek yoghurt or sour cream, just to add a bit of tang – sounds weird I know but trust me. If you are doing this ahead you can let them dry out a little then puree them and refrigerate. They won’t look attractive to add to the sauce as they’ll be a bit set but mix them into the tomato sauce WELL and you’ll be away laughing.
What pasta should I use?
I have chosen to use one of my favorite types of pasta, a chunky orecchiette. You could use anything you like and I personally think the bigger macaroni style shapes lend themselves really well to a chunky sauce like this. It would work with anything though including any dried spaghetti or fettuccine you have in the pantry. I always use a good quality bronze cut dried pasta for weeknight meals.
Expert tips
Vegetable stock
I always make my own chicken stock and use that in most recipes. Use anything you like though, veggie stock will also work perfectly.
Fresh herbs
I think a sprinkling of fresh herbs can lift any dish, especially a rich tomato based dish. Think about what you like, thyme, rosemary and basil would all compliment this dish perfectly.
Pasta water
This recipe has quite a small amount of stock in it because I know the pasta water is going to bulk it out and finish it off. Pasta water is my best friend, I love a starchy slightly saucy finish so tend to 1.
Boil my pasta in a much smaller pot than might be recommended and 2. Throw a lot of liquid into my cooking. I like to take my finished pasta out as a last step (usually before adding some parmesan because it melts better with a touch of sauce) then let the sauce keep ticking over to thicken.
My Mafaldine Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce recipe has some reels and info on how I tend to keep my pasta pretty al dente and let it continue cooking in the sauce. It makes such a difference in how your pasta dish will taste. Cut down on cooking time in the boiling water so your pasta is still super al dente when sauced (are these real words?!) and can continue an extra 2 – 5 mins IN the sauce. This is a great overview, he is the pasta king after all.
Do the pasta AND the sauce like the legend you are.
After thinking about the anatomy of a peppercorn sauce – it is roasted potatoes and sauce right? So that is what I did! I made a batch of my hand rolled gnocchi and then roasted it in the oven and it was DELICIOUS! I have become a bit obsessed with pasta salads , there is something so easy about being able to make pasta ahead of time to make for a perfect meal to serve guests.
Recipe FAQS
Could I boil the potatoes instead of roasting them?
Yes of course but I do think that roasting them enhances the sweetness, I haven’t tested the recipe with boiled potatoes.
What pasta shape is best for tomato based pasta sauces?
It’s a very thick and luscious sauce so is going to cling well to any shape, if you’re feeling adventurous, you might even try making your own pasta shapes like I did in my Green Pasta Sauce post.
Could I use passata instead of the tomato paste?
No, it would be far too liquidy. Tomato paste is perfect as it is nice and thick and the potato puree has a lot of moisture. I add pasta water too.
Want some other dishes to try?
If you love this healthy sweet potato tomato sauce and want some other delicious sauce options to try, then explore my recipe section! If you aren’t familiar with my original method for the best fresh tomato pasta , then get familiar! Please also give my delicious Creamy Tomato Pasta with Olives a try.
- Best Tomato Pasta Recipe
- Creamy Tomato Pasta with Olives
Recipe
Healthy Sweet Potato Tomato Sauce For Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes
- Olive oil
- Butter
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 200 grams chorizo sliced in half lengthways then sliced into half moons
- 2 – 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 250 ml stock anything goes, I used chicken
- 70 grams parmesan finely grated
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 170 degrees celsius.
- Prick the sweet potatoes a few times with a sharp knife, rub all over with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and wrap tightly in tin foil.
- Bake for 1.5 – 2 hours until super soft. Let cool and then peel the skins off with your hands and rewrap. You can plan ahead and do this step a day, or even a few days in advance.
- Boil them instead if you like, but I have to be honest they are much sweeter going this route.
- Get a pot of boiling salted water on for your pasta – timing is the key with pasta – you don't want the pasta hanging around in a strainer while you finish the sauce, it should go in at the last minute so drop your pasta in when the sauce is probably about 50% finished.
- Puree the sweet potatoes, either with a stick mixer or the base of a food processor. Throw in a good pinch of salt and pepper, a couple of teaspoons of olive oil or melted butter. You could even throw a tablespoon of greek yoghurt or sour cream in the make it really silky.
- Back into a pan squeeze a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste into the middle of the pan and let it sizzle for 1 – 2 minutes then mix through the onions and cook for another couple of minutes.
- Add your stock to the pan, I had a leftover roast chicken carcass from the night before I quickly turned into a stock. Anything stock wise would go here, I actually think miso would be a fun addition!
- Let it bubble for a couple of minutes before adding the pureed sweet potato and mixing really well. Add a splash of the pasta cooking water.
- Add the parmesan in, a couple of handfuls at a time and let it melt in.
- I like a dash of cream here too but it isn't necessary.
- Throw your cooked pasta straight in and let it really gently bubble away for a minute or so, letting the pasta absorb some of the saucy deliciousness.
- Try for seasoning, this is where I add a couple of teaspoons of sugar if needed but it does depend on your potatoes. Remember to season it as YOU like.
- Serve with a big old pile of grated fresh parmesan on top, the way the good lord intended.
Notes
- You can boil the sweet potatoes instead, it just doesn’t give as much flavour.
- I’ve only put red onions and peppers in the sauce as it was all I had around. Double the sweetness by throwing some red tomatoes and carrots in there too. This is to use up anything languishing in your crisper drawer.
- This is definitely a base you could put anything in. Italian sausage would be a great addition!
