Recipe: Pasta & Sweet Potato Salad
Pasta & Sweet Potato Salad is a different, delicious and filling kind of salad. What I like about this salad is that it can be served warm or cold. Additionally, one can add any other ingredients to make it more appealing and filling. Add a dressing of your choice, a light one or a creamy one.
Memories – Drought, A National Disaster
2016 did not bring enough rains to many parts of Kenya. Fast forward to 2017 and out of 47 counties 23 which are arid or semi arid parts of Kenya are facing drought. Rivers have dried up, animals and humans are dying without food. A National and International appeal has been sent out to help these areas with food and water. NGOs, Charity Organisations, Private companies all have sent out foodstuff, but that is not enough. If the long rains do not arrive by April, then many more will die without food.
Nakumatt, our local supermarket has put a huge box near its exit if anyone would wish to buy some foodstuff to be donated. Every time I pass the box its empty! People cannot afford to buy foodstuff to give away as they themselves are barely making ends meet with the high cost of basic food stuff. The basic 2 kg maizemeal packet which is required to make the staple food ugalior sima is selling at more than Ksh 130/- (approx $1.26). A 2 kg packet is just about enough to prepare two meals for an average family of 4. Vegetables like tomatoes, onion, are are about $1 per kg. 500ml milk packet is 48c. When income for a lot of people is about a dollar a day, its impossible to make ends meet.
Sharing This Recipe With Sunday Funday & FoodieMonday/Bloghop
When the FoodieMonday/Bloghop group decided on Pastamania as the 84th theme, I would have loved to make ravoili but so many ingredients are not available. At the moment I see crates full of potatoes, sweet potatoes and butternut squash. Also it has been so hot here with temperatures of 34-35°C that its not possible to spend long hours in the kitchen. Father and Daughter were both insisting on a light lunch. Therefore, I planned to make a pasta salad.
This recipe was first published on 20/03/2017 for the above theme.
Some Salad Recipes That You May Like
Sunday Funday
Sunday Funday is a group where members prepare a meal for Sunday. Can be anything from starter to dessert for the chosen theme. This time, Wendy wants Salads Galore. It is Summertime and she requested we share a salad recipe that can be served as a main course or a side. My pasta & sweet potato salad makes a perfect main meal during the hot season. Warm it up and it is perfect for winter.
The first time I made the salad, I drizzled it with homemade passion fruit vinaigrette. At the time of redoing this recipe, I used homemade lemon vinaigrette. Sometimes I see passion fruit at the local supermarket but it is frightfully expensive. So I will be sharing both salad dressing recipes. The sourness from the passion fruit balances perfectly well with the sweetness from the sweet potatoes.
Check Out The Salads Prepared By Members Of Sunday Funday
- A Day in the Life on the Farm: BYO Chef Salad Bar
- Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Fennel, Red Cabbage, Goat Cheese, & Citrus Salad
- Sneha’s Recipe: Keto Coleslaw with Keto Thousand Island Dressing
- Culinary Cam: Lahpet Thoke (Fermented Tea Leaf Salad)
- Cook with Renu: Marinated Fig and Mozzarella Salad
- Mayuri’s Jikoni: Pasta & Sweet Potato Salad
- The Mad Scientist’s Kitchen: Pasta Salad
- Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Spicy Mojito Cucumber Salad
- Food Lust People Love: Tenderstem Broccoli (Broccolini) Potato Salad
- Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Vegetarian Greek Salad with Chickpeas
Ingredients Required For Pasta & Sweet Potato Salad
Sweet Potato
The amount you require actually depends on you, whether you want more sweet potato or less in the salad. I usually take a large sweet potato when I make it for the two of us as a light meal. You can peel and cut the sweet potato into tiny cubes. Stir fry in a wide pan over low to medium heat or bake them in the oven at 180°C till done. Make sure you coat the chopped sweet potato with some oil before baking.
Pasta
Use any shape or kind of pasta of your choice. Boil them as per the instructions on the packet. These days we get gluten free options like chickpea flour pasta, rice flour pasta, quinoa pasta, etc. So use those for a gluten free pasta salad.
Nuts
Use any nuts of your choice, a mixture. I like to add either walnuts, pine nuts, almonds or boiled peanuts. Make sure you toast the nuts lightly in a wide pan over low heat or in the microwave oven for 1-2 minutes.
Olive Oil
Or avocado oil. Need it for the dressing and also to cook the sweet potato.
Mint
Fresh mint pairs well with sweet potato. Or try thyme, oregano, or dried mixed herbs.
Greens
Use baby spinach or any salad leaves of your choice. Add more or less according to your taste.
Cranberries
I use dried cranberries to give that little tart taste. Add dried fruit of your choice, blueberries, dates, goji berries.
Salt
For the sweet potato and also the vinaigrette.
Lemon Juice or Passion Juice
For the vinaigrette, preferably, fresh. If you want to make the passion fruit vinaigrette then remove the pulp from 6-7 passion fruits. Add about 1-2 tbsp water and give it short bursts in a food processor. You don’t want to crush the seeds, just want to remove the pulp from it. Strain it to get passion fruit juice.
Honey
for the vinaigrette. Can replace it with maple syrup for a vegan option.
Garlic
I don’t add garlic to the passion fruit vinaigrette. Only add it if I make the lemon one.
Lemon Zest
If you are making the lemon vinaigrette.
Black Pepper
Coarsely ground for the vinaigrette. Add according to your taste.
Other Ingredients
Feel free to add tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, chickpeas, meat, etc.
SWEET POTATO AND PASTA SALAD
Ingredients
FOR THE PASTA & SWEET POTATO SALAD
- 1 large sweet potato about 500g
- ¼ cup walnuts lightly roasted
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 12-14 mint leaves
- 1 cup cooked pasta any shape
- 1 cup baby spinach leaves
- 2 tbsp dried cranberries
FOR THE PASSION FRUIT VINAIGRETTE:
- 7 passion fruits
- 1 tbsp water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp honey/maple syrup
- ½ tsp coarse pepper powder
- ¼ tsp chilli flakes
FOR THE LEMON VINAIGRETTE
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper powder
Instructions
PREPARATION OF PASTA & SWEET POTATO SALAD:
- Peel the sweet potato and cut it into small cubes.
- Heat olive oil a wide pan over medium heat.
- Add the diced sweet potato. Lower the heat and cover the pan.
- Allow the sweet potato to cook for 5 minutes. Stir in between gently so that it does not get stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Remove the lid and allow the sweet potato to roast a bit in the pan.
- Transfer the sweet potato into a big salad bowl.
- Add the boiled pasta, walnuts and dried cranberries.
- Add baby spinach and mint.
- Mix the salad. Serve with your favourite salad dressing.
PREPARATION OF PASSION FRUIT VINAIGRETTE:
- Remove the pulp from the passion fruit. Leave pulp from one on the side.
- Put the pulp from 6 passion fruits into a blender along with a tbsp of water.
- Blend it in short bursts. You don't want to grind the seeds.
- Strain the mixture through a sieve to get the passion fruit juice.
- Add salt, honey, pepper and chilli flakes to the juice and mix it well.
- Add the pulp you kept on the side and mix well.
- The dressing is ready.
- Just before serving the salad add the dressing and mix or serve the dressing on the side.
PREPARATION OF LEMON VINAIGRETTE:
- Add lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl or a jar.
- Whisk the mixture or give the jar a good shake to mix.
- Add the olive oil and whisk well. Or close the lid of the jar and give it a good shake.
Notes
- Roast the walnuts in a pan over low heat or in the microwave oven for 1-2 minutes.
- Add boiled peanuts instead of walnuts.
- Add any tangy fruit of your choice to replace the cranberries.
- You can peel and dice the sweet potato. Rub olive oil over it and roast it in the oven at 180°C till done.
- Add cucumber, carrot, bell pepper, etc if you want to.
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A Little Request:
If you do try this recipe then please either
- add a comment below,
- send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
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- or tag me on Twitter as #Mayuri1962