Creamy One Pan Sweet Potato, Kale, and Leek Pasta

All you’ll need is a single pan to make this Creamy Sweet Potato, Kale, and Leek Pasta!

All you'll need is a single skillet and 30 minutes to make this Creamy Sweet Potato Kale and Leek Pasta. It's the perfect fall pasta!

Show me someone who loves doing dishes and I’ll show you someone who enjoys making lasagna on a weeknight. I mean, honestly, everyone loves lasagna, but the dishes can be a little time consuming. There’s a pot for boiling noodles, a pan for browning meat, far too many measuring cups, a cutting board, maybe a cheese grater, and then the casserole dish itself, which is inevitably coated in a stubborn layer of crusty sauce and cheese. I enjoy lasagna as much as the next guy, but I have to save that nonsense for the weekends. On busy weeknights when I’m craving creamy, saucy pasta, I turn to something much simpler. Something I can make in a single pan in less than 30 minutes. Something just like this Creamy One Pan Sweet Potato, Kale, and Leek Pasta.

This easy pasta dish is the lazy cook’s (or busy mom’s) dream. It’s made with Barilla’s Prontoย Penne pasta which is designed specifically for one pan cooking–no boiling or draining required. That’s right. Veggies, sauce, and pasta all made in a single pan. It’s the perfect solution to your weeknight pasta dilemma, and makes it easy to get a great meal on the table for your family, even on the busiest nights.

All you need is 30 minutes and one pot to make this Creamy Sweet Potato, Kale, Leek, and Goat Cheese Pasta.

For this dish, I wanted to take advantage of some of fall’s produce so Iย started with mellow leeks, sweet potatoes, and hearty kale. Everything cooks together in one pan until the pasta is perfectly “al dente” and vegetables are fork tender. Then, I simply stirred in a little half and half, Parmesan cheese, and goat cheese for a rich, creamy, tangy pasta that hits the spot on a cool fall night.

I love the play of flavors in this dish. The leeks and sweet potatoes provide a subtle sweetness that compliments the bitterness of the kale, but I think it’s the goat cheese that really sends this pasta over the top. It adds just the right amount of tang…that little something that makes you want to go back for bite after bite.

I know some of you probably aren’t fans of goat cheese. My husband is one of those people. I think you all are crazy, but I do have an option for you. If you just can’t take the tang, simply omit the goat cheese and substitute with an equal amount of Parmesan cheese. You’ll end up with a more classic Alfredo-y type sauce that will still be absolutely lovely with the autumn vegetables.

This Creamy One Pot Sweet Potato, Kale, and Leek Pasta is made in less than 30 minutes.

Reclaim your weeknights from the dish monster and spend some quality time with your family instead. Pick up Barilla’s Pronto Pasta and see what kinds of magic you can create in a single pan. For more great recipe ideas visit www.barilla.com/pronto, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

All you'll need is a single skillet and 30 minutes to make this Creamy Sweet Potato Kale and Leek Pasta. It's the perfect fall pasta!

Creamy One Pan Sweet Potato Leek Pasta

Yield: 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 box Barilla Pronto Penne Pasta
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 leek, cleaned and sliced into thin strips
  • 1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes, chopped
  • 3 cups chopped kale
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup half and half
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • 1/2 cup goat cheese
  • Fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

  • In a large heavy pot or pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the leek and saute for one minute. Add the sweet potato and saute an additional three minutes or until potatoes are just starting to soften.
  • Stir in the chopped kale, chicken broth, water, salt, and pasta, making sure the pasta is submerged in the liquid. Increase heat to high, and set the timer for 10 minutes. Cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes or until pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
  • Reduce heat to low. Stir in 1/2 cup half and half, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 cup goat cheese. Stir until melted then remove from heat and serve with fresh ground black pepper and additional parmesan.
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    Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Barilla. As always, all opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that keep NeighborFood up and running!

    19 Comments

    1. This pasta is so gorgeous. I really want to check out the pronto line. It sounds like a lifesaver for weeknights!

    2. I hear you on lasagna! Since I make the sauce and filling from scratch, that’s two pans right there. One pot meals are where it’s at!

    3. I can’t remember the last time I made lasagna just for that reason, it’s too time consuming and messy. However this pasta is perfect! It’s a big bowl of fall and that cheesy tangy sauce. Love it!

    4. Yes! I hear you on the lasagna. I love making my family recipe for it, but it happens maybe once every other year, in part because of the insane amount of dishes involved.

      I’ve been doing lots of fall veggie pastas lately, but I haven’t thrown any kale into the mix yet. Such a great idea! And the Pronto pasta has become a staple in my pantry. Anything that involves one less pan is a win in my dish.

      Oh, and it’s funny that Will doesn’t like goat cheese. Jeff doesn’t like brie! What’s up with these husbands, right?

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