Spicy Pasta with Sweet Potatoes

I am really proud of myself for trying this recipe. It's a main dish without MEAT, which is a big departure for me. And I'm so glad I did. It is amazingly delicious with a variety of flavors. And, I must admit, it's a nice change from meaty dishes. If you're working to incorporate more meatless meals, or you like spicy food, or even if you "just" like GOOD food, this dish is for you!

Peel and cube the sweet potatoes, then place them in a medium bowl



and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with chili powder



sugar



and cinnamon,



then toss well to coat all the pieces.



Spread the potatoes on a large greased baking sheet (use a rimmed one!, I love using my pampered chef stoneware bar pan for roasting vegetables) and bake for 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.



While the potatoes bake, start the pasta cooking in a large pot of boiling water. Then, prepare the sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine the peanut butter, chili sauce,



soy sauce



and cream cheese. When the pasta is done, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water - I find it easiest to do this just by dipping a measuring cup into the pot.



Add about 1/4 cup of the water to the sauce mixture.



Cook and stir over medium heat until the sauce is heated through and all the ingredients are well incorporated. If the sauce seems too thick, just add a bit more pasta water. Stir in about 2/3 of the green onions.



To serve, place pasta on individual plates and top with sauce



and sweet potatoes.



Garnish with the extra green onions.



Serve with large glasses of milk to calm the spiciness!

Find more great ideas at Seasonal Sunday, Cooking Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, It's a Keeper Thursday, Foodie Friday, Food on Fridays, Friday Food, What's Cookin' in the Kitchen and Fun with Food Friday, Ingredient Spotlight.

Spicy Pasta with Sweet Potatoes

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes (about 2 cups)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
8 oz. rigatoni
1/3 cup peanut butter
3 oz. cream cheese, cut into cubes
2 tsp. Asian chili sauce
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
6 green onions, thinly sliced

Place potato cubes in a medium bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle the sugar, cinnamon and chili powder over and stir well to coat all the pieces. Spread onto a greased rimmed baking pan and bake at 450 for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

In the meantime, cook rigatoni in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Drain, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking water.

For the sauce, combine the peanut butter, cream cheese, chili sauce and soy sauce in a medium saucepan. Add about 1/4 cup of the cooking water and cook and stir over medium heat until heated through, adding more water if the sauce seems too thick. Stir in 2/3 of the green onions.

To serve, divide pasta among 4 plates or bowls, top with sauce, sweet potatoes and garnish with the rest of the green onions. Serves 4.