Sweet potato noodles inject the classic Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with brilliant color in this easy dish. I love to top mine with basil & plenty of Parmesan.
Have you tried sweet potato noodles? In the past, I’ve made zoodles and doodles (noodles made out of daikon radish), but it didn’t occur to me until recently to make swoodles(?). Is that what we’re calling them? Anyway, one night, with a hungry stomach and minimal ingredients on hand, I saw this gorgeous recipe for Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, and I realized I could make something similar using sweet potatoes in place of the pasta.
This recipe starts with 2 medium sweet potatoes – you’ll be surprised how many noodles they make, and then you’ll also be surprised by how much they cook down in the pan. This recipe will make about 3 decent-sized servings, depending on the size of your sweet potatoes.
P.S. I’m a big fan of the Inspiralizer, because, unlike the other types that I’ve tried, it clamps down to your countertop making the “noodling” process far less frustrating, and you won’t have sweet potatoes all over your floor.
Because this is not actual pasta, more is more. The toppings are a really important component in this recipe to make the flavors and textures exciting. Add plenty of toasted pine nuts, basil, grated cheese (or vegan “cheese” from this post), and serve with dollops of pesto.
You can also customize this to your liking: roasted tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, roasted broccoli, and goat cheese (if that’s your thing) would be great additions. And if you don’t have a spiralizer, you could make this recipe with roasted spaghetti squash instead of sweet potato, see recipe notes below.
Sweet Potato Noodles with Garlic & Kale
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, spiralized
- 1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, enough to well coat the pan
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced sliced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, more as desired
- 2 to 3 tablespoons water
- 4 cups baby kale (or thinly sliced lacinato kale)
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- squeezes of fresh lemon juice, as desired
- ⅓ cup fresh basil, sliced
- dollops of pesto (this recipe with basil in place of kale)
- 2 tablespoons hemp seeds or toasted pine nuts
- grated pecorino cheese, optional
- Peel the sweet potatoes. Slice in half and and cut the pointy tips off. Place in the spiralizer and spiralize into noodles. Alternatively, you can use a julienne peeler (although this is more difficult, so I recommend spiralizing).
- Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until until the garlic slices are lightly golden brown, about 5 minutes, reducing the heat if necessary (ie, if the olive oil is bubbling too much, turn the heat down, you do not want the garlic to burn). Add a few generous pinches of salt, red pepper flakes, and a few grinds of freshly cracked black pepper.
- Add the sweet potato noodles and toss to coat. Let cook for 2 minutes, gently tossing and scraping down the sides of the pan.
- Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and toss again to ensure that nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cover and let the sweet potato noodles continue for 5 more minutes or until they start to soften and are tender but still have a crisp “al dente” bite. Check and toss occasionally so that they cook evenly. Be careful not to overcook or they will start to break apart (this happens quickly).
- During the last minute of cooking, stir in the kale so that it wilts into the noodles. Remove from heat and transfer to 3 or 4 bowls.
- Serve with the fresh basil, a dollop of pesto, hemp seeds or pine nuts and pecorino cheese, if desired.
This looks great! Thanks for sharing it and the other recipes at the Pinterest Power Party – we’ll be featuring this in tomorrow’s party!
could you please send the link to the pinterest power party? tried to find it but alot of stuff came up
Amazing noodles that too from sweet potato. I loved it
Five star recipe. I really like it.
Interesting menu … is the inspiralizer a mandatory tool for making this dish? I do not have those tools in the kitchen .. how about thin and elongated cut?
Thanks for sharing interesting recipes!
trying this tonight but using a mandoline and then cutting the slices into strips. We use sweet potatoes as “bases” of dishes often and our waistlines have appreciated the substitute for pastas.
Sweet potato Noodles…! Never heard about this before. I love Sweet potato and surely will make this recipe. It’s looking simple and delicious. Thank you for sharing 🙂
I made this last night! So delicious and simple! Perfect quick weeknight meal. Thank you!
Wow, I never thought of sweet potato as noodles. My boyfriend loves to eat sweet potatoes and sometimes I feel so bored seeing him eating with just sweet potatoes. So with this, you just gave me an idea on what to cook for him. For sure, he will be happy if I prepare this for him.
I hope he loves the sweet potato noodles 🙂
no, I haven’t heard of them until this! Love them in all configurations, servings, etc, but never put it together with the current veg-nodle-ization that seems to be concentrated in zucchini, or is it as you mention daikon radish, but why not sweet potato?! They have a beautiful color, great and not over-powered taste and substantial nutritional value! Thank you for this wonderful inspiration!
Like the others have said, I’d almost given up on spiralizing because of the hassle — but haven’t tried the Inspiralizer. This dish is so incredibly beautiful — I’m giving it another try!
I love sweet potatoes, this is such a great idea!
Sweet Potato Noodles looks so colorful,full of flavors as well as easy to make. I liked It!!
Thank you for sharing a unique recipe of sweet potato noodles, its very yummy & healthy.
http://www.kashishfood.co.nz/rice.html
I like that the noodles are lightly sautéed – they sound really delicious! As always, your photos are gorgeous 🙂
This looks an sounds so good. The color is beautiful <3
This looks so good – I have to try sweet potato noodles 🙂
Izzy | Pinch of delight
I would really like to get on the spiralizer bandwagon, but I completely freeze up when I have to decide which one to order (no such thing for sale in these parts). What do you use and are you happy with it?
Certainly eating more vegetables would be a good thing!
I like the Inspiralizer!
I bought the Chef Ming spiralizer from HSN. It is motorized and it wasn’t that expensive. $50? Maybe. I was going to return it at first, but after I read the instructions and used it correctly, I now use it two or three times a week! Love it!
OXO makes a good one that does not break the bank. Bought mine at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.
Hi! Curious if you’ve used other spiralizers? Specifically the Mueller? Seems there are a lot on the market. Considerations in choosing this one? Thanks. I am esp interested in one that can handle hard, root veggies (beets, etc.)
Thanks!
I haven’t tried the Mueller, I’ve tried the Paderno which I didn’t like because it’s bulky and it moves all around the countertop while trying to spiralize. I’m a big fan of the Inspiralizer.
I bought the spiralizing attachment for the KitchenAid mixer. It works fine for zucchini, but was a disaster with harder vegetables, like butternut squash. I think I wasted my money. 🙁
Mine worked great with the sweet potato!! Turned out delish
so glad you loved it!
Sweet potato noodles are EVERYTHING!! This sounds like a delicious combination of flavors!
great idea! now i need to get this gadget to make noodleeeee!
This spiralizer is not super expensive and works really well. https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/oxo-good-grips-reg-tabletop-spiralizer/1045878961?skuId=45878961&&mrkgcl=609&mrkgadid=3306247293&enginename=google&mcid=PS_googlepla_nonbrand_kitchenfoodprep_online&product_id=45878961&adtype=pla&product_channel=online&adpos=1o1&creative=224484706035&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=CjwKCAiA99vhBRBnEiwAwpk-uFG8Vi2f_Yf6Q_XcOChZ-AuAoaeaAoRCbKRiZjlUqDmU1wfusSd9yhoCqeEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Nope. I’ve never made sweet potato noodles. Why haven’t I thought about this before? I LOVE sweet potatoes! I think the toasted pine nuts are a great touch.