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Sunday, January 2, 2011

Spicy Pasta with Sweet Potatoes

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Interesting. That was how my mom described this dish, as she passed me the recipe and recommended I make it. Having now had it for myself, I realize why she had a tough time verbalizing the flavor. This pasta  is good, really good, but I don't know how to describe it. It's not too spicy, it's not too peanutty, it's just...interesting. And good. You'll have to make it and see for yourself. Maybe you can come up with a better description than I did! I actually only had one tiny sweet potato on hand when I made this, so I also roasted up some brussels sprouts, as you'll see in the recipe below. I think the sauce would pair well with any roasted vegetable, broccoli or butternut squash would be other good additions.

Make, enjoy, then describe in the comments please :)


One Year Ago: Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Pizza

Spicy Pasta with Sweet Potatoes
adapted from Better Homes and Gardens November 2010 Issue

Ingredients:
-1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes
-6-8 large brussels sprouts, chopped into fourths
-1 tbsp olive oil
-1/2 tsp sugar
-1/2 tsp chili powder
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-8 oz. dried pasta (original recipe called for rigatoni, I used Barilla plus penne)
-1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
-3 oz cream cheese, cut into small pieces (I used 1/3 less fat)
-2 tsp Asian chili sauce (such as Sriracha)
-1 tbsp soy sauce
-6 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450F. Toss vegetables with olive oil, cinnamon, sugar, and chili powder in a bowl. Lay on a greased baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, or until tender.
2. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain when cooked and reserve 1 cup pasta water.
3. In a small saucepan, add peanut butter, cream cheese, soy sauce, and chili sauce. Whisk in 3/4 cup of reserved pasta water. Stir over medium heat until heated through. If too thick, stir in additional water. Mix in most of the green onions.
4. Top pasta with vegetables, sauce, and remaining green onions (can mix all together and then serve, or make individual portions).

This post is linked to Eat at Home.