Sweet Potato Pasta in Creamy Sauce with Feta — Sweet and Salty… This Combo Just Works

Easy Sweet Potato Pasta: Step-by-Step

Craving something creamy and comforting? If you’re looking for a cozy and easy sweet potato recipe, this pasta with roasted sweet potato and feta is a must-try.

Need an easy, simple dinner? This pasta is perfect. It comes together fast. You don’t need much—just a few basics, and the oven does most of the work.

Let’s look at what you need to turn a sweet potato into a creamy sweet potato pasta sauce. Learn how to add it so it sticks to the pasta. Plus, how to make the sauce creamy without a food processor. And how to balance the flavors so it’s not too sweet. And how to keep your sweet potato pasta al dente—because no one likes too soft pasta in the sauce!

Ready to start? Here’s what you need to make this pasta with sweet potato recipe.

Equipment

• Pot
• Pan
• Baking dish

Ingredients (For exact amounts, jump to the recipe card below.)

• Pasta
• Sweet potato
• Feta cheese
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Spices: oregano, chili flakes, and about 20 fresh rosemary leaves
• Salt – just for the pasta water. Salt it well—this is the only salt you’re adding. And don’t forget, feta is salty too, so you won’t need any extra in this sweet potato and pasta recipe.

See? This pasta is creamy enough to feel indulgent, but still made with just a few wholesome ingredients. The best part? The main ingredients in this sweet potato pasta recipe are easy to find and budget-friendly.

So now, let’s get into the kitchen and cook.

How to make sweet potato pasta?

Preheat your oven on top and bottom heat until it’s nice and hot. Peel the sweet potato and cut it into small chunks. Slice the garlic cloves in half—we’ll remove them after baking, so don’t chop them too small. Chop the rosemary finely.

Grab a baking dish or a deep sheet pan.  Add the sweet potato, oregano, chili flakes, and rosemary. Give it a quick mix. Now, drizzle in some olive oil—just enough to coat everything. Add garlic and mix again really well

Make a little space in the middle and place the block of feta right there. It will roast with the veggies and turn soft and creamy. If you like your sauce sweet but balanced, feta is perfect. Sweet potato in pasta sauce alone can be too sweet. You need something tangy and salty to balance it. That’s why you add feta!

Put the dish in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes. That’s just enough time for the potatoes to get tender—perfect for a creamy roasted sweet potato pasta. If you bake them longer, they can turn watery or mushy.

About 5 minutes before the sweet potato is done, start boiling the pasta. Bring the water to a boil and add salt. Cook it 1 minute less than the package says. That way, it will finish cooking in the sauce and stay al dente. This keeps it firm, so your pasta with sweet potato doesn’t turn mushy.

Quick tip: One minute before the pasta is done, scoop out a cup of the starchy cooking water from the pot where you cooked the pasta. It’s perfect for the sauce!

Let’s make the sweet potato cream sauce. 

Take the dish out of the oven. If you can easily press the sweet potato with a fork, it’s ready. Set a few chunks aside for serving. Pasta with sweet potatoes is absolutely delicious when you have a few pieces in the mix. It gives the perfect texture with the creamy sauce.

Now remove the garlic—it’s done its job.
Grab a fork and mash the sweet potato and feta right in the dish until you get a smooth mash. Mix well.

Scoop the mash into a pan. That makes it easier to adjust your sweet potato cheese sauce.

Now add some pasta water and mix. You’re going for a creamy sauce—not too thick, not too runny. Need the exact amount of pasta water? It’s crucial for this sweet potato sauce recipe. If you add too much, the sauce won’t stick to the pasta. Check the exact amount in the recipe card.

Now, drain the pasta, drop it into the pan, and mix it all together. Make sure every piece is coated in that creamy sweet potato sauce. 

Serve it up and top with the extra chunks of sweet potato you saved earlier. Don’t skip this step. Those sweet potatoes in pasta add so much texture! They’re sweet and perfectly balanced with the tangy, creamy sauce.

That’s it—creamy sweet potato pasta, ready to enjoy. This recipe’s sweet and savory hits the perfect balance with roasted sweet potato and salty feta. Let us know in the comments how yours turned out!

Tips You Want to Know

For this sweet potato sauce for pasta, you only need simple ingredients. But to make the perfect dish, there are a few things to keep in mind. Curious what they are? Check out these top tips for perfect pasta!

How to make sure sweet potatoes are not too soft?

• If you don’t roast them right, your sweet potato pasta sauce can turn mushy or watery. So don’t bake them too long.
• Just roast the sweet potato with spices and a block of feta until it’s soft. In general, 30–40 minutes in the oven is enough.
• How to know when to stop baking? The sweet potato should be easy to mash with a fork. 

How to make sweet potato sauce not too sweet?

• Add feta to the sweet potato while it bakes. You need salty or tangy ingredients, like feta or chili, to balance the flavor. That way, the sauce won’t turn out too sweet.
• For the best sweet potato flavor, roast it with olive oil and spices until it’s soft and caramelized. That brings out the perfect sweetness for a creamy sweet potato pasta sauce.
• You don’t need tomatoes, which are often used in this recipe—this version works without them.

How to make creamy sweet potato sauce?

• Cut the sweet potato into small chunks. This gives you the perfect texture, and you don’t need a food processor. You can mash them with a fork.
• Once baked, mash the roasted sweet potato and feta into a purée. You’ll get a creamy sauce. Use a regular fork or a blender—whatever you have on hand.
• This is an easy way to make a creamy sauce without heavy cream, which many sweet potato sauces use.
• Don’t forget to save a few sweet potato chunks before mashing. Pasta with sweet potato chunks and creamy sauce is so delicious!

How to make sure the sauce sticks to pasta?

• Pasta sauce with sweet potato and feta can turn too thick or too dry. You want it creamy, so it coats the pasta just right. Use starchy pasta water to adjust the thickness. It adds flavor and helps the sauce stick.
• Want to know how much pasta water you need? For this sweet potato pasta sauce recipe, we used 150 g (about ⅔ cup). That’s just enough to keep the sauce creamy and smooth, not too thick, not too runny.
• Scoop your starchy cooking water one minute before the pasta is done. And save a little extra, just in case. Your ingredients might be slightly different, so you may need a bit more or less. It’s always good to have extra to adjust.

How to keep pasta al dente?

• Cook the pasta one minute less than the package says. When you mix it with hot sauce, it keeps cooking a little. So to keep it al dente, you need to undercook it slightly.
• But don’t go too far—you’re not cooking the sauce and pasta together in a hot pan. One minute less is just right. This way, you’ll get al dente pasta in sweet potato sauce every time.

Sweet potato sauce: is roasting, boiling, or pan-frying the best method?

You can roast, boil, or pan-fry sweet potatoes. The best method depends on the dish you want to make. For soup or mashed potatoes, boiling works best. For a side dish, pan-frying is great.

But what about a sweet potato pasta dish? What’s the best way to cook sweet potatoes for sauce? We tested different methods, and roasting in the oven is the winner. Why? Because roasting caramelizes the sweet potato. That brings out its natural sweetness and adds depth to the sauce.

We cut the sweet potato into chunks, toss it with olive oil and spices, and roast it for 30–40 minutes. This way, it soaks up the oil and all the flavors. For a rich and tasty sweet potato sauce for pasta, roast it with a block of feta. The combo of sweet, roasted sweet potato and tangy, salty feta gives you the best flavor for your sauce. Yes, you can roast the sweet potato whole, in its skin. It takes about 50 minutes to bake and saves time on chopping and peeling. But it won’t soak in the olive oil or spices the same way.

So for the best results, we recommend roasting it in the oven, cut into chunks. It’s the most delicious way to prep it for pasta with sweet potato sauce.

Store, Reheat, Freeze—And Pick the Best Pasta

You can make the roasted sweet potato pasta sauce ahead of time and store it without losing flavor or texture. When you keep it in the fridge, the most delicious result comes when you mix the pasta and sauce just before eating.

How to store in the fridge

You can keep leftover pasta in the fridge for 3–4 days. It’s best to store the sauce and pasta separately to keep everything fresh. Use an airtight container.

How to reheat

You can easily reheat sweet potato feta pasta on the stove. Stir constantly and add a little starchy pasta water to bring back the creaminess. If you don’t have pasta water, just add a splash of water or milk. Let it come to a gentle boil.

The best way? Store the pasta and sauce separately. Reheat the pasta sauce with sweet potato, then mix it with freshly cooked pasta.

How to freeze

Freezing sweet potato sauce isn’t a great idea—it loses flavor and doesn’t reheat well. It’s much better fresh.

Which pasta is the best?

For this recipe, short pasta works best. We especially love sweet potato penne pasta—the tube shape holds the creamy sauce perfectly in every bite. It makes sure none of that goodness gets left behind on the plate. A sweet potato penne pasta recipe is a go-to when you want a cozy, flavorful dinner that’s still simple to make.

You can also go for sweet potato rigatoni. The ridges and size make it ideal for thick, hearty sauces like this one.

Of course, long pasta works too. You can make sweet potato fettuccine or even stir sweet potato in spaghetti sauce. Both are delicious options if you prefer ribbon-style noodles.

Whole wheat pasta works as well—just check the time on the package and cook it one minute less than listed. Whatever pasta you’re using, always cook it slightly less for the perfect al dente bite.

Adjust, Add Flavor, Serve + Try More Pasta

The best part about sweet potato and pasta recipes is how easy they are to adjust to your diet. You can change things up, and it’ll still taste great. It’s also easy to add more flavor. Here are a few simple recipe variations you can try.

Easy Ways to Adapt This Recipe to Your Diet

Add protein

Need a few plant-based protein ideas? To make the dish more filling, add crispy tofu on top. Cut it into cubes and fry in a pan for a few minutes. You can use crispy baked tofu too, but pan-frying is quicker. Tired of soy? Try vegan alternatives made with seitan—like vegan sausage or bacon. You can also add edamame or sprinkle a little cheese on top.

This recipe fits right into your healthy eating plan. You get plenty of fiber from the sweet potato. And don’t forget—pasta with sweet potato and feta is already rich in protein, thanks to both the sweet potato and the feta!

Add more veggies

This sweet potato and feta pasta is a cozy take on vegetable pasta. The sauce is made from roasted sweet potato and feta. So it’s full of natural sweetness and has an ultra creamy texture—no heavy cream needed. Want to add more veggies? The easiest way is to toss in a few raw ones right before serving. Slice some baby tomatoes, and sprinkle fresh arugula on top. Or add thinly sliced radishes for color and crunch.

Go gluten-free

Want a gluten-free version? The best part about this sauce recipe with sweet potato is that it’s already gluten-free. All you need to do is swap the pasta. Use gluten-free pasta made from rice, corn, chickpeas, or lentils. The sauce works great with any of them. You don’t need to change a thing—just pick the pasta that fits your diet. And don’t forget to undercook your pasta by one minute. That way, it stays al dente and holds up perfectly when mixed with the sauce.

Want More Flavor? Here’s How

The combination of feta and sweet potato in pasta is already balanced and flavorful. But here are a few simple ways you can add additional ingredients and make it your own.

If you love spicy

When you roast the sweet potato, go beyond garlic, oregano, and rosemary. Try dried red pepper flakes, a pinch of smoked paprika, or a bit of dried chipotle or chili. These spices bring a light kick and deeper flavor to your sweet potato pasta sauce.

If you love cheesy

Sweet potatoes and pasta are already a great combo, but adding cheese takes it to the next level. To balance the natural sweetness, roast the sweet potato with a block of feta or goat cheese. It adds a creamy, tangy flavor that makes the sauce rich and satisfying.

For a cheesy finish, sprinkle parmesan cheese on top right before serving. What we absolutely love is using a potato peeler to shave thin slices of parmesan cheese and pile them on top. It melts just a little and tastes amazing with every bite.

If you love crunchy

Top your pasta with a crunchy finish. Feel free to sprinkle toasted sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, or chopped nuts for extra texture. Want a nut-free option? Try fried sage leaves or pangrattato—Italian crispy breadcrumbs that add the perfect savory crunch.

You can also toss a few roasted sweet potato chunks on top when serving. They add both texture and extra flavor.

What to Serve With Sweet Potato Pasta

Sweet potato pasta is pure comfort food—warm, cozy, and easy to make! Here are a few simple ideas to serve with it:

• Seasoned Brussels sprouts – the perfect veggie side dish
• Potato noodles – thick, chewy, and a great next recipe if you love sweet potato pasta

Need more pasta recipes?

Try one of these easy favorites:

• Spinach pasta – a simple recipe using frozen spinach
• Butter and cheese pasta – big flavor from basic ingredients

Creamy pasta – quick and smooth cream sauce you can make in minutes

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