Pasta with roasted sweet potatoes and bacon! This easy pasta recipe is so delicious! Sweet potatoes and onions roasted until their meltingly tender, then tossed with pasta for an easy weeknight pasta dinner!
Easy Pasta Dinner Recipe
In the middle of summer, when zucchini and yellow squash were at their peaks, I made bowls of bowls of a Simple Roasted Vegetable Pasta. It became a regular at our house, using whatever veggies we had.
Now that fall is slowly, very slowly attempting to arrive, I've taken the idea and given it a little bit of a fall twist. Even though sweet potatoes are available year round, I always think of them as fall. The inspiration for this recipe came from a recipe from Mark Bittman - the master of simple and easy recipes!
While I love simple sheet pan suppers, pasta is a close favorite for creating easy weeknight pasta recipes.
Ingredients to Make Pasta with Sweet Potatoes and Bacon
- Sweet potatoes - my store had 3 different varieties! I choose the basic sweet potatoes.
- Bacon - just four slices is all you need to add plenty of flavor. Though you can use more (I never say no to more bacon!)
- Olive oil.
- Salt and pepper (not pictured.)
- Red Onion - white or brown onions would also work. I think red tend to be a little sweeter to begin with.
- Pasta - any shape you like, cut pasta as opposed to long thin strands are better paired for this recipe.
- Chives - I used parsley.
- Parmesan Cheese (not pictured) use freshly grated.
How to Make this Easy Pasta Recipe
Preheat the oven and dice the sweet potatoes and chop the bacon. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 30 minutes.
While they are roasting, chop the onions and start the pasta water boiling.
Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle with the paprika. Add the onions and stir. Place the pan back in the oven and roast for 15 more minutes. While they are roasting, cook the pasta. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water.
Remove the pan from the oven and scoop the vegetables into a large bowl. Add some of the pasta water to the pan and scrape up any brown bits and add that to the bowl also.
Add the pasta, cheese and chives (if using) and toss to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with additional chives or parsley.
The Best Easy Pasta Recipe!
This was so good! The sweet potatoes almost dissolve creating a sweet sauce. The onions are sweetened by their roasting time in the oven and the little bit of bacon adds just the right amount of salty meatiness. The smoked paprika adds a smokiness that plays off of the bacon.
This is going to become a regular fall and winter dinner around here! A simple green salad topped with a lemon vinaigrette would be the perfect with this!
More Easy Pasta Recipes
Caprese Chicken Pasta Salad - an easy pasta recipe that uses a rotisserie chicken!
Cauliflower also pairs beautifully with pasta in this Cauliflower, Sausage and Breadcrumbs Pasta.
Turn the classic combination of sausage and peppers into a Pasta with Sausage and Peppers.
Lobster Pasta with Corn, Pancetta and Creme Fraiche - sounds and tastes fancy, but so easy!
If you make this, I'd love it if you tagged me and followed me on Pinterest | Instagram | Facebook
Pasta with Sweet Potatoes and Bacon
Ingredients
- 3 sweet potatoes peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes
- 4 slices bacon chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and black pepper
- 2 teaspoons paprika smoked
- 1 red onion chopped
- 8 ounces pasta preferably shaped not strands
- ¼ cup chives or parsley
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400.
- Combine the sweet potatoes and bacon on a large rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the oil. Toss to combine. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the oven. Sprinkle over the paprika and add the onion to the pan. Toss to combine and place back in the oven to continue roasting for 15 more minutes.
- While the vegetables are roasting, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving some of the cooking water - usually about ¼ cup.
- Remove the vegetables from the oven and scrape into a large bowl. Pour the water into the sheet pan and scrape up any browned bits and add that to the bowl. Add the pasta, chives (reserving some for garnish,) and parmesan cheese. Toss to combine. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2010 and has been updated for 2019.
Marjie says
I think I'd just stop at the roasted sweet potatoes and bacon, and call it dinner. But that might be just me.
Terri says
You had me at bacon, but the sweet potato and pasta sent me over the edge! I cannot wait to make this!!!
Adrianne says
Oh yum!! Even the tray of red onion and sweet potato looks good here! I love a good pasta dish and yours looks perfect, so delicious and hearty at the same time. Thanks for another great recipe Pam!
David says
Very interesting recipe! I love pasta, and have combine sweet potatoes and bacon, but never all three. Yum!
Krissy Allori says
Sweet potatoes and bacon are a match made in heaven in this delicious recipe!!
Amy says
I love the sweet and smokey combination!
Jo Allison says
Love the flavours of roasted sweet potatoes and red onion in combination with bacon. Perfect midweek family pasta dish. Ingredients added to my shopping list and will be making it later this week, can't wait!
Pam Greer says
You'll have to let me know what you think!
Sweet and Savory says
I think all of Bittman's recipes are great but this one sounds like one of those top recipes. Of course, having sweet potatoes might be the reason. Good job with this.
Thanks for linking to Tackling Bittman.
Dr. Laura @ WhoIsLaura.com says
Looks amazing! And, goodness, looks like I need to go get another Bittman cookbook. Just recently got How to Cook Everything and LOVE it. So, I'm hooked on Bittman!
Thanks for sharing with the Tackling Bittman Recipe Hop!
Dr. Laura
Helen says
I was pleasantly surprised at how good this was. What a perfect combination of flavors. Meant to add spinach and then decided on a spinach,apple and walnut salad. Served everything with ham. YUM! My new comfort food combo.
Christy says
Swinging back by to say thanks for linking this to the Bittman Hop!!
Couscous & Consciousness says
Hi Pam - just came back to say, so glad you linked this up to Tackling Bittman 🙂
Sue
KarenP says
I made this last night and it was wonderful! We were out of town for the holiday and I made sure I had the ingredients before we left. It was the perfect thing to make the day we returned. Thanks for sharing it!
Chris says
Nice execution of this one, I like it! More importantly, Alexis will LOVE it with the sweet potatoes.
Christy says
I am another Bittman fan - almost every recipe of his I have made has been a winner - and the ones that aren't my favorites are still OK! Anything with pasta and bacon is a winner and sweet potatoes are so delicious roasted! Thanks for sharing this with the Hearth and Soul Hop!
katiez says
I would not have thought to pair sweet potatoes with pasta.... but this does sound delicious!
girlichef says
Oh, I love this book! And this sounds like a dish I'd totally love...can't go wrong w/ sweet potatoes and bacon, imo. Wonderful...thanks for sharing it w/ the hearth and soul hop this week, Pam. Have a great turkey day!
Reeni says
The sweet and salty combo of sweet potatoes and bacon is irresistible! I am always amazed at Natashya's reviews too!
Couscous & Consciousness says
Yup - that's a winner - pasta, sweet potato and bacon - yum! Must check out that book 🙂
Sue
grace says
have i ever eaten pasta and potatoes in the same dish? i'm thinking no. i've been a foolish, foolish girl. 🙂
5 Star Foodie says
Lovely pasta dish. I like the addition of pimenton for the smoky flavors and the combination of sweet potatoes and pasta.
Chanel11 says
Oh that is definitely lunch-room-envy-esque, in fact it's also dinner-envy-esque 🙂
Pam says
Nice flavors and textures in this pasta.
Julie says
I would have been one of the people sniffing around your lunch that day. Yum 🙂
Kim says
Natashya is a kitchen goddess, but so are you! I love that this is your first choice from Bittman's new book. Looks delicious.
KarenP says
Mmmm, that does sound good!
Mags @ the Other Side of 50 says
Oh lordy....I love roasted sweet potatoes, but with bacon and pasta? That has to be outstanding! Great recipe.
Amy says
Lol. Ya, Natashya...she's a machine when it comes to cookbook reviews. I completely take your word for it though. I hear ya on those sweet potatoes and bacon. Mmmm.
Marjie says
I fall into the category of one who can just tell if she'll love the cookbook or not. And as for this recipe? Well, I love sweet potatoes, and who can go wrong with bacon?
La Table De Nana says
Pasta..bacon and BS..What a great trio.
Lyndsey says
What a perfect dish! Looks lovely, sounds so tasty and it has bacon!
Joanne says
Haha i do NOT know how Natashya does it. I like to think I have intuition when it comes to cookbooks as well. And this one, for this recipe ALONE, is definitely a keeper.
June says
Yum...all that and smoked paprika too! Wow. Looks delicious.
Barbara says
I often roast sweet potatoes just to serve with dinner, but never thought to use it in pasta.
Of course, bacon never hurts, does it? Gosh, this really looks good, Pam.
Lea Ann says
What a delicious combination. I'm with Joanne, I have no idea how superwoman blogger Natasha does it.
Judi says
Good first choice. It's Bittman. How bad could it be?
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) says
Sweet potatoes and bacon, my new favorite combination! I'm going to try this over spinach instead of pasta.
Melynda says
I agree, by now I know when something is going to be good. This does look good, and I love those darn sweet potatoes. Thanks.