I’m gonna shoot you straight on this, the idea here wasn’t some grand design. There’s no genius here, there’s no trick. There’s no science to this. No “actually the sweet potato’s inherent starch cooks out in the sauce and makes a glossy blahdie blahdie blahdie blahdie blah.”

The entire thought process behind this recipe was that I had a can of sweet potatoes in light syrup in my pantry, that had already moved from one apartment to another, and needed a use. I was never going to use it, it wasn’t entirely apparent exactly how it had gotten there to begin with, and I just thought, “What the hell? I have Italian ancestry on my dad’s side. I wonder if there’s anything I can do to make them disappointed in me from beyond the grave.”

This experiment came out good enough that I decided to publish it, so… mission failed? Mission failed successfully? I can’t decide, but what I do know is that this ended up being a complete meal, heavy on veggies, and not only did it taste good but I felt good about eating it. Maybe you will too.

Oh, also, shoutout to my friends DJ and Staci who helped me work out the recipe name. “Broccoli Pasta Surprise” was what I came up with, but it made me think with horror on too many elementary school lunches, so I didn’t love it. DJ had the runner up of “Sunset Broccoli Skillet” which would have absolutely won if the sweet potato had made the sauce a little more orange. Or at all.

Print Pin

Broccoli Pasta with a Twist

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Servings 4

Ingredients

SAUCE

1 15-ounce can sweet potatoes in light syrup drained
8 ounces sour cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic

PASTA

16 ounces seashell pasta
1/2 pound bacon diced
4 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
12 ounces broccoli
8 ounces spinach
5 ounces grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Start heavily salted pasta water boiling.
Combine sauce ingredients in food processor and process until smooth about 2 minutes.
Place a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Dice bacon and mince garlic, then add the bacon to the hot pan. Once the fat has rendered out and the bacon is chewy, start the pasta in the water.
When the bacon is crispy, add the garlic and crushed red pepper, stir until fragrant, then add the broccoli florets. The florets will turn a vibrant green after about 2 minutes.
Add about a half cup of pasta water to the skillet and stir. Let the broccoli cook under the high heat and steam until the broccoli is tender and the pasta is just shy of al dente.
Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer the pasta to the skillet. Do not drain, allow any water in the pasta to come with it. Turn heat to high and add more pasta water to just cover.
Cook for another minute until some of the water is absorbed, then reduce heat and stir in the sauce from the food processor. Stir regularly and let simmer until pasta is at desired consistency and sauce is warmed through. Add spinach and stir, allowing heat to wilt spinach leaves.
Remove skillet from heat, then stir in parmesan. Residual heat will easily melt the cheese. Finish with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Make it? Love it?