Sweet potatoes are a vegetable powerhouse. Besides being packed with various nutrients and anti-oxidants, their slightly sweet and spicy flavour, and the creamy textures they are capable of producing, make this popular root vegetable an incredibly versatile ingredient.

A common vegan hack is to use mash potatoes to help replicate the iconic cheesy sauce of dishes like mac and cheese. Less common are sauces that use sweet potatoes, but sweet potatoes produce a similar consistently when blended, and they have a strong enough flavour to stand up on its own without a long list of additional ingredients.

This recipe springs from a lifelong love of sweet potatoes, and a determination to showcase their  under utilized saucy capabilities. It’s also super easy to whip up on weekday evening when you need to feed the whole family with something hearty and healthy.

Ingredients:
1 lbs of cubed sweet potatoes
4 cups of penne noodles
1 cup of vegetable broth
12 oz container of vegan sour cream (I used Tofutti)
1/4 cup of nutritional yeast
2 tsp of salt
2 tsp of pepper
2 tsp of garlic powder
1 tbsp of lemon juice
1 tbsp of olive oil
340g package of veggie ground round (I used Ives)
1 cup of panko crumbs

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350.
2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Reduce to medium heat, add the 1lbs of sweet potatoes and cook until tender (about 45 minutes)
3. Drain the water, and transfer the sweet potatoes into a blender or food processor. Add the 1 cup of vegetable broth, the sour cream, 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast, 2 tsp of salt, 2 tsp of pepper, 2 tsp of garlic powder, 1 tbsp of lemon juice. Pulse until smooth, and set aside.
4. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Reduce to medium heat, add the 4 cups of noodles, and cook until al dente (about 10-15 minutes).
5. Drain the water from the pot, and add in the sweet potato blended sauce and the package of veggie ground. Stir until the pasta is coated.
6. Coat an 11 x 17 inch baking dish with the 1 tbsp of olive oil. Transfer the pasta mixture into the baking dish. Layer the 1 cup of panko crumbs evenly across the top of the pasta.
7. Cook for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.