Pasta with Cajun Spiced Creamy Greens and Sweet Potatoes

One of my weekly problem-solving tasks with the C.S.A. vegetable share has been coming up with creative things to do with all of the beautiful cooking greens. This simple pasta dish was a big success, with a hit of cajun spice offsetting the earthy greens and sugary bites of the sweet potato.

I am currently in love with quinoa pasta, which cooks up with a nice texture and has a slightly nutty flavor. If you are looking for gluten-free pasta, it is a good one to try. I cooked the pasta as I was making the sauce and then used some of the pasta cooking water to thin the creamy base. The greens we had on hand were chard and spinach, but this would also work with any mixture of greens you enjoy, and you could certainly increase the amounts if you want a greater vegetable-to-pasta ratio. Toss it all together and you have a fast, healthy, and delicious dinner.

Pasta with Cajun-Spiced Creamy Greens and Sweet Potatoes

8 ounces pasta, cooked according to package directions

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, chopped fine (or half of a small white onion)
2 bunches cooking greens (chard, kale, spinach, etc.), washed and chopped
2 teaspoons minced or crushed garlic (2 cloves)
2-4 teaspoons Cajun seasoning blend (if the seasoning has added salt, omit additional salt)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium, cooked sweet potato, peeled and chopped
8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
pasta cooking water, to thin the sauce

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water. While it cooks, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a saucepan or wok pan with a lid. Add the shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until it just starts to wilt. Add the chopped greens and cover the pan to let them steam for 3-5 minutes.

As soon as the greens have wilted down, add in the garlic, Cajun seasoning, salt if needed, sweet potato, and cream cheese. Cover to let the cream cheese melt in for a minute or two, then stir in some pasta water to thin out the sauce. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce.