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Skip traditional pasta and use spiralized sweet potatoes for a healthier twist on cheesy baked pasta! This gluten free, Sweet Potato “Pasta” Bake is a great way to add more vegetables to a comfort food favorite!
Happy November! I can’t believe I’m saying that when it’s been feeling like late summer around here. Today we’re finally having a cool day, but it’s one of only about a handful that we’ve had this fall. Even with the weather being warm, I can’t help but crave baked casseroles and comfort food which is exactly what this Sweet Potato “Pasta” Bake is.
Last weekend my husband took me out for our anniversary dinner. Our anniversary was actually a couple weeks ago, but we decided to wait a week since we were already celebrating his birthday that weekend. We went to a new restaurant called The Palate Food + Wine Bar and oh my goodness was it good! We ordered several plates to share. Charcuterie of course, because we’re obsessed, warm olives with feta, bacon wrapped dates and the star of the meal, pan seared quail with asparagus risotto and a red wine sauce. Our waiter recommended it and we are so glad he did. We couldn’t stop talking about how amazing it was all night.
A unique and genius feature about this place was that they had wine on tap. It was a wine lover’s dream come true! The walls were lined with dispensers similar to how you get soda from a machine, (except classy) but instead of soda it was an enormous selection of different bottles of wine. You load up a card with however much money you want to spend, then it will dispense either a sip, pour or glass size. It’s a great way to try out different wines!
A glass of wine is definitely something that goes well with this Sweet Potato “Pasta” Bake. The flavors in this baked “pasta” dish are all the ones you would find in either a lasagna or baked ziti. Of course instead of ziti or lasagna noodles I spiralized a couple sweet potatoes instead. I thought you might be skeptical about replacing pasta with sweet potatoes, so I had my die hard pasta loving husband give me his opinion. He said it tastes just like lasagna, but without the heavy feeling you get after eating it. He also said spiralizing the sweet potatoes tricks you into thinking it really is pasta. So there you have it, straight from the pasta lover’s mouth, a baked “pasta” recipe that will please everyone!
Sweet Potato “Pasta” Bake
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and spiralized
- 2 mild or hot Italian turkey sausages, removed from casing, crumbled and cooked
- 2 1/2 cups marinara sauce
- 3 handfuls baby spinach
- 1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F. and spray a 9x13 baking dish or one similar in size with cooking spray.
- In a bowl mix together the ricotta, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, 1/4 cup of mozzarella and 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese until combined, set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the spinach, marinara sauce and crumbled sausage. Heat the mixture until the spinach wilts.
- Spread 1/3 of the sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. Top with half of the spiralized sweet potatoes. Top the sweet potatoes with another 1/3 of the sauce and half of the ricotta mixture then repeat the process. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top then cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil after 30 minutes and baked for another 10-15 minutes or until it's bubbly and the sweet potatoes are tender. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Vegetable “Pasta” Recipes
Pesto Chicken with Zucchini Noodles
Sweet Potato Noodles with Grilled Chicken and Creamy Poblano Sauce
What can be substituted for ricotta cheese? I’m not dairy free, I just don’t like ricotta… Thanks!
Hi Betsy, I think cottage cheese is a good substitute for ricotta. Look for a thicker brand if possible, my favorite is Good Culture.
My family loves this recipe! Can this recipe be frozen and baked later? I’m trying to meal prep for my postpartum recovery.
Hi Alex,
I haven’t tried freezing this, so I can’t tell you for sure what the results would be like. However, I want to say it should be ok since sweet potatoes are a sturdier vegetable.
Saw this recipe and had to make it. Didn’t have ricotta because this author ate it all so I substituted yogurt and I also substituted homemade vegan mozzarella and Italian chicken sausage. If I were to tell eating it was a mind blowing experience, it would be an understatement. This now becomes a staple in my home. Incredible! ! ! I do mean incredible! ! !
Just had this for dinner. Delish!! I added some chopped onion, green pepper and mushrooms to the sausage. We loved it!
This is going on my next weekly menu! Not only this recipe, but the other sweet potato in lieu of pasta recipes sound and look delicious as well! I am salivating. I love sweet potatoes and currently have a stash on hand! Thank you!
Love this healthy upgrade! Looks like a delicious dinner!
comfort food without the guilt. I LOVE IT.
What a beautiful, healthy dish!
First of all, this sounds incredible!! And that dinner place you went to–FAB!! We have a local place with cheese plates and wine on tap and it is so great
Oh my goodness, this sounds wonderful! I feel that my spiralizer doesn’t get enough use, I need to try this!