Ingredients:

  • 2 large sweet potatoes (approx. 500g), peeled and cubed
  • 1 lb (450g) Rigatoni or Penne pasta
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 medium shallot, minced
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 8 fresh sage leaves
  • 0.5 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 0.5 tsp cracked black pepper

Instructions:

  1. Place the cubed sweet potatoes in a pot of salted water and boil for 12 minutes until they are completely fork tender.
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of starchy pasta water before draining.
  3. While pasta cooks, melt butter in a wide skillet over medium heat. Fry sage leaves until crisp (about 1-2 minutes), then remove and set aside. In the same butter, sauté minced shallots and smashed garlic until translucent and fragrant.
  4. Transfer the boiled sweet potatoes, sautéed shallots, garlic (and the butter from the pan), vegetable broth, heavy cream, smoked paprika, and nutmeg into a high-speed blender.
  5. Blend on high until the sauce is completely smooth and aerodynamic. Adjust consistency with a splash of reserved pasta water if needed.
  6. Toss the cooked pasta with the sweet potato sauce in the skillet over low heat. Serve immediately topped with grated Pecorino Romano and the reserved crispy sage leaves.