Are you cooking at home this Valentine’s Day? Then this Bucatini with Winter Pesto and Sweet Potatoes is a perfect pasta dinner just for you. Why is that so? Firstly, it is quick and easy to prepare. You know me, I am all about the simplest of recipes for celebrations. Secondly, you can make the winter pesto for this recipe a day ahead. Besides, it can be so versatile. If you don’t have kale on hand, use collards, arugula, basil, or whatever greens you have. This pesto doesn’t use nuts, I use pine nuts as a garnish instead. You can also substitute pine nuts for any nuts of your choice, or even sunflower seeds if you are looking for a nut-free alternative.
This delicious pasta is loaded full of roasted sweet potatoes and red onion. Italian bucatini pasta is thicker than spaghetti and features a hole in the center, which makes it a perfect sauce catcher. That is why I like to serve it tossed with green winter pesto and topped with pine nuts and extra Parmesan. So yummy!
To make this Bucatini with Winter Pesto and Sweet Potatoes, you will need the following ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 425 °F and place 1 cubed sweet potato and red onion wedges into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Roast vegetables, stirring once, until tender for 20-25 minutes.
In a food processor, combine 4 cups kale and ½ cup parsley and pulse a few times until chopped.
Add 2 ounces grated Parmesan, 1 clove garlic, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, and 1½ tablespoons lemon juice. Pulse until finely chopped, scraping the sides down as necessary.
With the machine running slowly, add in ⅓ cup olive oil and process until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving ¼ cup cooking water.
Toss pasta with pesto, roasted sweet potatoes and onion, and ¼ cup cooking water.
Garnish with pine nuts and extra Parmesan and serve. Enjoy!
This Bucatini with Winter Pesto and Sweet Potatoes is a romantically easy pasta dinner. Give this recipe a try and come back to leave a review. We love hearing from you!
