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Home / Recipes / Sauces & Dressings Recipes

Sweet Potato Pasta sauce

Published: Feb 26, 2019 · Modified: Jun 5, 2025 by Sujatha Muralidhar · This post may contain affiliate links · 3 Comments

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SWEET POTATO PASTA SAUCE

Sweet Potato Pasta Sauce is a humble comfort food ready in under 40 minutes. It is incredibly delicious and made with roasted sweet potato, red bell pepper, almond milk, nutritional yeast, and spiced with crushed red pepper.

Delicious sweet potato pasta sauce served over cooked pasta.

After my pasta recipes, such as coconut milk pasta sauce became massive hits on my blog, I thought of sharing my other tested and tried dairy-free recipes like this sweet potato pasta sauce.

Combining sweet potato, bell pepper, and nutritional yeast creates a naturally creamy base. The crushed red pepper gives a mild heat, making this sauce rich and flavorful.

Once the veggies are roasted and blended with almond milk and vegetable broth, they transform into a smooth, velvety sauce that coats the pasta beautifully for a delicious dinner.

Jump to:
  • Why You'll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • How To Make Sweet Potato Pasta Sauce
  • ♨️How To Adjust The Heat Level
  • The Leftovers
  • FAQ
  • More Pasta Recipes To Try
  • 📖 Recipe
Smooth and creamy sweet potato pasta sauce in a bowl garnished with crushed red pepper.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

⭐️It's a tasty pasta sauce for a weeknight dinner.

⭐️Customizable and adoptable recipe.

⭐️A vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free.

Ingredients

  • Pasta: Choose a pasta shape that holds the sauce well, such as penne, rigatoni, or macaroni.
  • Sweet potato: Choose a medium-sized sweet potato, weighing around 6 ounces.
  • Red bell peppers: Their bright red color and fruity flavor beautifully complement the sweet potato pasta sauce.
  • Onion: I have used red onion, but any other onion would work perfectly.
  • Garlic: You can roast it with the skin-on(you can peel later) to help mellow its flavor.
  • Almond milk: Adds a creamy, nutty flavor. You can swap it with any plant-based milk or regular whole milk.
  • Vegetable broth: I used low-sodium vegetable broth. Adjust the salt in the recipe accordingly if you're using regular broth.
  • Nutritional yeast: This adds a cheesy flavor to the sauce. Optional ingredient.
  • Crushed red pepper: Adds a subtle kick that complements the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. Feel free to adjust the amount according to your spice preference.
  • Nutmeg: For a flavor enhancer. If nutmeg isn’t your preference, you can substitute it with cinnamon or skip it altogether.

How To Make Sweet Potato Pasta Sauce

cooking the pasta
  1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
roasting the sweet potato cubes
  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss the peeled sweet potato cubes, red bell pepper, onion, and skin-on garlic cloves with olive oil, then spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway, until cooked through. Let cool slightly, then peel the garlic cloves and the red bell pepper.
Blended sweet potato and tomato puree in a blender.
  1. Transfer the roasted vegetables to a blender and add almond milk. Blend until smooth and creamy.
cooking the sweet potato.
  1. Place a pan over medium heat and add the vegetable broth, blended mixture, nutritional yeast, nutmeg, crushed red pepper, and salt. Stir and cook for 3 minutes or until the sauce thickens to the desired consistency. Add the cooked pasta and toss well. Sprinkle crushed red peppers and serve warm.

♨️How To Adjust The Heat Level

This sweet potato pasta sauce has a mild heat.

Crushed red pepper is the only ingredient added to the spice and heat in this recipe.

You can adjust the amount of crushed red peppers to make this sauce taste mild or moderately spicy, depending on your preference.

The Leftovers

  • You can repurpose the leftover sweet potato pasta sauce as the soup, chili, or dip.
  • Store the leftovers in the refrigerator for about five days or in the freezer for up to three months.
  • Place the frozen pasta sauce in the refrigerator overnight to thaw.
  • To reheat, warm it quickly in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add a splash of milk or water to loosen the texture, then heat and stir it again to bring back its creamy consistency.
the creamy sweet potato pasta sauce in a blue colored bowl

FAQ

Can I skip adding the crushed red pepper?

I can understand. Crushed red pepper provides a gentle heat, and adding it is all about personal choice. You can adjust the amount or skip using them.

What variations can I try?

To make it a hearty meal, add chicken or chickpeas for protein. I've tried adding sun-dried tomatoes(and loved that version, too). You can also sauté peppers, mushrooms, fresh basil, or spinach—these ingredients complement the sauce beautifully.

Can you make the sauce ahead of time?

Absolutely! You can prepare it at least two days before and store it in the refrigerator. When ready to enjoy it, reheat it on the stove or microwave. Add some water or milk to make the sauce smooth and luscious.

More Pasta Recipes To Try

  • creamy, spicy chili peanut noodles served in a pan garnished with green onion and cilantro.
    Chili Peanut Noodles
  • Bell pepper curry is made with onions, tomatoes served in a white bowl.
    Bell Pepper Curry
  • spicy spaghetti served in a white bowl for the dinner with parsley and olive oil
    Spicy Spaghetti
  • paneer tikka mas
    Paneer Tikka Masala

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know your thoughts in the 📝 comments section below the recipe.

📖 Recipe

the creamy, sweet potato pasta sauce with the penne pasta, garnished with crushed red peppers and parsley.

Sweet Potato Pasta Sauce

Creamy sweet potato pasta sauce made with roasted sweet potatoes, red bell pepper, and almond milk. Dairy-free, vegan, and ready in 30 minutes for a cozy meal!
4.50 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 Servings
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Ingredients

  • 8 oz penne pasta /spaghetti, rigatoni, macaroni
  • 1 sweet potato peeled and cubed
  • 1 red bell pepper cut into large chunks
  • ½ onion peeled and quartered
  • 3 cloves garlic skin-on
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup almond milk /unsweetened/other plant-based milk
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg optional
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper optional, for heat
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • ½ teaspoon salt adjust to taste

Instructions

  1. While the vegetables roast, cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
  2. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  3. Toss sweet potato, red bell pepper, onion, and garlic cloves with olive oil.
  4. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes or until cooked through, flipping halfway.
  5. Let cool slightly, then peel the garlic. And set aside.
  6. Transfer roasted vegetables to a blender, add almond milk, and blend until smooth and creamy.
  7. In a pan over medium heat, add vegetable broth, blended mixture, nutritional yeast, nutmeg, crushed red pepper, and salt. Stir and cook for 3 minutes until the sauce thickens.
  8. Add the cooked pasta and toss until it is evenly coated. And serve warm.
  9. Once the veggies are roasted and blended with almond milk and vegetable broth, they transform into a smooth, velvety sauce that coats the pasta beautifully for a delicious dinner.

Notes

  • Substitutions: Swap almond milk with any plant-based milk or regular whole milk. Nutritional yeast can be replaced with Parmesan cheese or omitted. Use any onion variety and adjust vegetable broth salt levels using regular broth.
  • Adjusting the Heat: Crushed red pepper is the only source of spice in this recipe. Adjust the quantity for a mild or moderately spicy sauce, or skip it entirely for a heat-free version.
  • Storage: Leftover sauce stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to five days or in the freezer for three months. Thaw frozen sauce overnight in the fridge before use.
  • Reheating: Warm on the stovetop or microwave with a splash of milk or water to restore creaminess. Stir well before serving.
  • Variations: Add protein like chicken or chickpeas. Try sun-dried tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, fresh basil, or spinach for extra flavor.

Nutrition

Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 646mg | Potassium: 467mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 9110IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 2mg

Additional Info

Course Dinner Recipe
Cuisine American
Author Sujatha Muralidhar
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Comments

    4.50 from 2 votes

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Janie | Naughty Kitchen says

    January 02, 2023 at 11:30 am

    I'm always looking for healthier pasta sauces and this sweet potato pasta sauce was the perfect! I made it for my lunch to bring to work and it was tasty and delicious. Kept me full throughout the day!

    Reply
  2. Sharon P says

    March 09, 2024 at 6:15 pm

    Looks like I found a recipe I would enjoy! Wondering if could be made in microwave? Cook top went out waiting for new to be dropped in. Been wanting pasta have all ingredients for this.

    Reply
    • Sujatha Muralidhar says

      March 14, 2024 at 3:28 pm

      Absolutely Sharon, this recipe should work fine in the microwave. But I haven't tried make this in the microwave, let's know how its turned out.

      Reply
The author image of the food blog pepperbowl.com

Hi, I'm Suja! I'm the person behind PEPPER BOWL, based in Pennsylvania. I focus on easy, simple-to-make recipes inspired by rich flavors with a hint of heat. I enjoy simplifying recipes with minimal ingredients to suit today's busy lifestyle.

More about me →

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