Home » Main Dishes » Sweet Potato Alfredo
Published: November 8, 2015Updated: April 19, 2022Author: Jenn Laughlin
Jump to Recipe Pin the Recipe
This quick and easy Sweet Potato Alfredo is a tasty twist on a comfort food classic!
Let’s take everything we love about fettuccine alfredo and veggify it.
Yes, really. It’ll be fun!
Veggies are totally our thing over here, so grab that random sweet potato that you’ve been meaning to eat for over a week and meet me in the kitchen!
Three fun facts about this sweet potato alfredo:
1.The sauce is spoon-licking good! It’s fork-licking good too! Just don’t lick a knife, mmkay?
2. I’ve tested this recipe three times, each with a different type of milk/cream. The first sauce featured heavy cream and, though rich and delicious, it was too toothick. The second? Half and half made it little less thick, but still not quite perfect. The third, just using whole milk and the starchiness from the sweet potato to help thicken it, was juuuuust right! Nice and saucy!
Just call me Goldilocks and the three pastas. I wear my carbs with pride!
3. The sweet potato in this recipe totally classifies this carby bowl of goodness as a vegetable. It’s science; just go with it.
What’s also oh-so-amazing about this recipe is that it’s the perfect use for leftover mashed sweet potatoes! You could even squirrel away the whipped sweet potato part of leftover sweet potato casserole and use that as your SP puree as well! Since we’re making mashed SP for Thanksgiving this year I’m a tad bit excited about alfredo-izing the leftovers! Woot!
I could ramble on about how much I adore this saucy little recipe of mine but if you’re even half as hungry as I am looking at these photos, I should probably just jump right on into the recipe, eh? Let’s get cooking!
Sweet Potato Alfredo
Pasta for two with a tasty twist! We can’t get enough of this easy alfredo recipe!
Sweet Potato Alfredo
This quick and easy Sweet Potato Alfredo is a tasty twist on a comfort food classic!
Recipe yields 4 small side-dish sized servings or 2 large main-dish sized portions.
4.93 from 14 votes
Print RecipePin Recipe Rate Recipe
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Sweet Potato Alfredo
Prep Time: 8 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 28 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Jenn Laughlin – Peas and Crayons
Ingredients
- 8 oz dry fettuccine noodles
- 1 medium sweet potato approx. 1/2 cup pureed
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 TBSP butter
- 1 clove garlic mashed and minced to 1/2 tsp
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp chopped parsley basil or spinach are great too!
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2-4 TBSP freshly grated Parmesan for topping
- salt and pepper to taste
EXTRAS:
- 1.5 tsp cajun seasoning blend or to taste (optional but delish!)
Instructions
Cook pasta al-dente via package instructions.
While the pasta boils, microwave your sweet potato for until fluffy and soft, approx. 7-8 minutes.
For a super smooth sauce, break out your food processor or blender. Add your sweet potato along with 1/4 cup whole milk (from your 1 cup) until smooth.
Heat butter and garlic in the microwave for 20 seconds to infuse the flavor, add to your puree and pulse.
Drain pasta and return to pot, switching burner to medium heat.
Immediately add the remaining 3/4 cup of milk along with salt and garlic powder to the pasta and stir constantly.
Add sweet potato puree and parmesan cheese and continue stirring constantly until the sauce starts to thicken. This usually takes 5-10 minutes.
The end result is a sauce that’s super thick, creamy, and full of flavor!
Give it a taste, and season to taste as needed. Sometimes I add a little salt and pepper, other times more garlic, and occasionally a little extra butter when I’m feeling saucy!
Lastly, add your lemon juice. I always save it for for the end. Some people skip the lemon juice because it changes the texture of the sauce a little bit but in my opinion the flavor more than makes up for the visual difference. Try it before adding the lemon and then add to taste if desired. 2 tsp was perfect for Paul and I and left a nice lemony note to the sauce.
Serve immediately topped with a sprinkle of parsley and finely grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.
Notes
If you feel like you’d like the sauce a little thinner, snag a little extra milk to add to the sauce. Start with a TBSP and work your way up. You can also thin it with a little melted butter if desired, delicious!
For a feisty burst of flavor, snag some cajun seasoning to add to your sauce! Add anywhere between 1/2 and 1 + 1/2 tsp of cajun seasoning blend. We make this sauce cajun style when adding roasted chicken or sautéed shrimp to the pasta. It’s SO GOOD!
Just before serving,I crumbled a little goat cheese on top of my pasta out of sheer curiosity. I LOVED it! Feel free to follow suit.I served my pasta on a bed of fresh arugula.Wilted spinach would make a great addition to round out the meal if you’re feeling a bit more conventional, lol! Either way,I hope you love this pasta as much as we do!
Nutrition Facts below are estimated using an online recipe nutrition calculator. Adjust as needed and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 422kcal, Carbohydrates: 52g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 80mg, Sodium: 666mg, Potassium: 368mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 5418IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 422mg, Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?I want to see! Tag @peasandcrayons on Instagram and Facebook!
so . . . how was it?!
Fantastic! I’m all fora big plate of Fall comfort food and the fact that it’s quick and easy to whip up? SOLD!
We’ve been making this dish for years and I always get a bit giddy when I come across a box of fettuccine noodles in the pantry.
Oh the pantry… Half the time I literally have no clue what’s in there! It’s like the closet to Narnia, so when the right pasta presents itself, it’s time to party!
Of course if you don’t have a sweet potato to bring to the party you can easily sub pumpkin or butternut squash. When it comes to veggies, the possibilities are endless! Or should I say pasta-bilities? I’ve tried the sauce with both veggies as a stand-in and have it on good authority that the results are nothing short of amazing.
Looking for a classic Alfredo sauce? grab the recipe here!
passionate about pasta?
- Cajun Shrimp Pasta with Lemon and Veggies
- Bacon Broccoli Mac and Cheese
- Healthy One-Pot Enchilada Pasta
Peas and Crayons is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliated sites at no cost to readers.
About The Author:
Jenn Laughlin
Hi! I’m Jenn and I’m here to help you eat your veggies! It'll be fun, painless, and pretty darn delicious as I teach you to plan your meals around fresh, seasonal produce with a little help from healthy freezer and pantry staples.
Learn More
