Cozy Winter Night Pasta with Sausage & Sweet Potato
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This wintery pasta is packed with sweet and savory flavor – the perfect weeknight dish.
Wintery Weeknight Dinner
The long days of winter are either just beginning, in their depths or soon to thaw (depending on when you are reading this). If you’re anything like me, you also go into a semi-hibernation mode during the winter – meaning anything food-related that may be considered high-effort is just… too much.
Enter: sweet potato and sausage pasta.
Using the best of canned ingredients and fresh prepped ones, this pasta comes together quickly and deliciously – without a ton of extra time off of the couch.
Making Sweet Potato Sausage Pasta
Packed with sweet potatoes and savory sausage, this dish makes the best out of fresh and canned ingredients for an easy weeknight meal that comes together in under an hour.
- yam or sweet potato – fresh or canned can be used in this recipe
- chorizo sausage – use a spicy sausage for a kick or a sweet sausage to pump up the savory flavors (your choice!)
- fresh spinach – fresh over frozen or canned works best in this recipe for the best pop of green color
- cooked pasta (with reserved water) – the starchy water is important to build a saucy base
- garlic & onion powder – dry seasonings go a long way to add tons of flavor
- shallot – for an undertone of onion-y notes
- heavy cream – to combine with the pasta water to make a creamy sauce
- parmesan cheese – for added nutty flavor and cheesy flair
- red pepper flakes & green onion – optional additional toppings for extra heat and twang
One of the best parts about this dish are the aromas that will fill your house as you are cooking. If you share your home with other fellow hibernating creatures, this dish will surely pull them from out of their dark caves (aka basement).
The sweet flavors of yams play perfectly with the savory and spicy notes of chorizo sausage. Balanced with tender leaves of spinach and a creamy sauce, this pasta is the perfect weeknight dish for a lazy winter evening.
Cozy Winter Night Pasta with Sausage & Sweet Potato
Equipment
- pasta spoon
Ingredients
- 16 oz yam or sweet potatoes peeled & chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 4 links chorizo sausage chopped, skin-on
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ shallot chopped
- 3-4 cups fresh spinach
- 8 oz heavy cream
- 4 servings farfalle pasta cooked
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese for topping
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional, for topping
- 2-3 green onions chopped + more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, add the peeled sweet potato and one tablespoon olive oil. Add the salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. Toss lightly to coat evenly. Turn the sweet potatoes out onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes – flip half way.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Cook the farfalle pasta according to the instructions on the box. Reserve one cup pasta water and drain the rest when the pasta has finished cooking.
- While the pasta is boiling, in a skillet over medium high heat cook the chopped chorizo until the sausage pieces are cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the cooked sausage from the skillet and set aside. Carefully wipe the skillet clean with a clean paper towel.
- Add the remaining olive oil and one tablespoon of butter to the skillet. When the butter is frothy, add in the garlic and shallot. Saute until fragrant then add the spinach. Saute until the spinach is wilted, another 8-10 minutes.
- Return the sausage to the skillet with the cooked pasta and pasta water. Stir well to combine. Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes on medium low until the liquids have reduced by half.
- Stir in the heavy cream and heat for an additional 5 minutes, until thickened. Gently fold the sweet potatoes back into the skillet – don't overstir or the potatoes may become mashed. Season with red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese, to taste. Serve topped with green onion and enjoy!
I made this recipe and although very good the recipe instructions lacked some key details in preparing. At no point in the recipe does it say what to do with the sweet potatoes after removing them from the oven. #5 on the instructions I assumed was to be combined with the #4 instructions. I ended up adding the sweet potatoes at the end of the recipe going by what the picture looked.
My husband says this one is a keeper! We all liked it a lot. I could not find in the recipe at what point to add the roasted sweet potatoes back in, so I waited very near the end so they didn’t get shredded stirring things together.