Pasta with Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Garlicky Kale, and Bacon
Yield: 8 servings
Need another reason to love this pasta? This makes 8 servings so you can either feed a crowd or have plenty of leftovers to get you through the week. If you want to make this dish vegetarian, skip the bacon and heat 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan before adding the sweet potatoes and throw in a pinch of salt. You can make the pasta vegan by omitting the cheese.
Want to take this dish to a whole other level? Finish it with truffle salt.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped (about 8 to 10 stalks)
- 1 large sweet potato, cubed (about 3 cups, skin on)
- ½ lb bacon, cut into half-inch pieces
- 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb whole wheat pasta such as fusilli or penne
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- ½ lemon, juiced
- ½ cup pecorino romano, finely grated, divided
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
- Kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
- Put a pot of well-salted water on to boil. Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package directions. Drain and return to the pot.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until the fat is rendered and you’ve got the desired level of crispness. Remove the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving the fat from the bacon in the pan.
- Add the sweet potatoes to the pan. Cook, uncovered, without stirring, 5 minutes. Toss the potatoes once, cover the skillet with the lid, and cook 5 minutes more.
- Add the garlic, kale, tomatoes, and red pepper flakes. Crush a few tomatoes on the bottom of the skillet so that their juices are released (this will help steam the kale). Cover and cook just until the kale has wilted and turns bright green, 2 to 3 minutes (don’t overcook!) Remove from heat. Squeeze the lemon juice over the vegetables.
- Toss the cooked pasta with olive oil. Add sautéed vegetables, about half of the bacon, roughly two-thirds of the cheese, and the toasted pine nuts and toss. Season with sea salt to taste. Serve immediately, topping each dish with the reserved bacon and grated pecorino romano.
I’m willing to bet this would also be great in the middle of July at the beach!
that’s all from this Outer Banks Photographer for now, see you next time!