Pasta with Sweet Potato Cream Sauce & Vegetables

Summer might be the most fun season, but by the time fall rolls around, I’m ready and waiting with my can opener – for the puréed pumpkin and pumpkin beer, of course. The “pumpkin” idea can be conveyed in many forms – sweet potato, butternut squash, pumpkin pie spice, a combination of cinnamon and nutmeg. All convey the same sentiment = fall is awesome. This is the first of many pumpkin-y pasta dishes this season. And this one incorporates sweet potato AND beer. Boom.

Pasta with Sweet Potato Cream Sauce & Vegetables

1 sweet potato
½ pound whole wheat rotini pasta
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 cup milk/soymilk
Dash cayenne
¼ teaspoon dried sage
Salt and pepper
1 cup flavorful beer (I used Fat Tire IPA)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
½ head broccoli
1 cup diced mushrooms
½ onion, diced

Poke sweet potato with fork and microwave for 5 minutes, or until cooked through. In a small bowl, mash potato until smooth.

In a medium size pot, boil pasta until al dente.

In a large pan, melt butter and whisk in flour. When flour has cooked for about a minute, slowly whisk in milk and continue whisking over medium low heat for 5 minutes or so, until sauce starts to thicken. Stir in mashed sweet potato until incorporated. Thin sauce with beer until it reaches desired consistency.

Meanwhile, in a separate pan heat olive oil and add in diced veggies. Cook 7-10 minutes, until cooked but still firm. Dump vegetables into the sauce and toss to coat. Serve pasta in bowls and top with vegetables and sauce. Salt and pepper as necessary.