I find seasonal food changes come in the form of pasta so this is no different. This pasta features half pasta and half roasted vegetables/fruit (yes, I said fruit). Add to that an easy ‘sauce’ of cheese and you’re ready to eat.

Sweet potatoes, it’s time

It seems fitting that the first fall recipe I’m sharing features sweet potatoes. It’s my jumping off point and once I start, it’s months full of sweet potatoes, squash, and root vegetables. This pasta is also great with roasted butternut squash (or really any slightly sweet hard winter squash). However, I snuck one extra thing in this pasta that you might not be expecting.

Mascarpone Cheese

I love mascarpone cheese but it feels really rich to me, so I only use it occasionally. This pasta dish is the perfect companion. The mascarpone essentially becomes the sauce and the richness of the cheese balances the earthiness from the potatoes and the sweetness from the pears. You could swap this out for nut cream if wanting to go vegan.

Serve it with

Finally, this pasta desires a solid green salad to balance the richness and not surprisingly, maybe a drizzle of chili oil for the pasta.

Print Pin Rate

Sweet Potato Pear Pasta with Mascarpone

2 large servings or 3-4 smaller servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Sweet Potatoes

• 1 pound sweet potatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 large Bosc Pear
• 1 tablespoon rosemary (minced)

Pasta

• 4 ounces pappardelle (or really any kind of pasta you like)
• 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
• ¼ grated veg-friendly parmesan
• Zest from one lemon
• Pasta water
• Salt/pepper

1. Heat your oven to 425˚F. Peel and cut the sweet potato into ¼” cubes. Place on a sheet tray covered with parchment and toss with olive oil and salt. Roast for 20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are soft but barely browning. 
2. While the sweet potatoes are initially roasting, peel and cube the pear. Pull the sweet potatoes from the oven after 20 minutes and add the pears/minced rosemary. Return the tray to the oven and roast for another 10 minutes. Pears should be hot and the sweet potatoes should be browning.
3. While the sweet potatoes and pears are cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender. Remove about a cup of pasta water and set aside. Drain the noodles and return to the pot. Add in the mascarpone cheese, parmesan, and lemon zest. 
4. Toss until the mascarpone has warmed and coated the noodles, adding splashes of pasta water as needed to help thin the sauce. As the pasta cool, it will absorb the sauce so if you plan to let this sit for any time, thin it a little extra. Stir in ¾ of the roasted sweet potatoes and pears.
5. Taste and add salt/pepper as desired. If you have any toasted walnuts around, you could add those as well. Divide into bowls and top with the remaining ¼ of sweet potatoes and extra rosemary, if desired.  

Notes

Adapted from this Food & Wine recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time :30 minutes minutes