I’m guessing you already have a favorite pasta sauce but if you’re looking to step it up a little bit, try adding a cup or two of shredded sweet potato. The shreds practically melt into the sauce and add a touch of sweetness.  I don’t usually add any sugar to my tomato sauces but if you’re into the habit of doing so the sweet potatoes will take the edge off any acidy tomatoes without added sugar.

My recipe is below but you could certainly put the sweets in your existing sauce.  **Caveat – if you don’t use the entire sweet potato I suggest you cook the remainder for a different dish.  Sweet potatoes do not like to be cold and putting a raw partial in the refrigerator may cause it to turn black.  If you’re lucky you can cut off the black section and use the rest but cooking it would be less wasteful.

Loose rendition of my sauce:

2 Tbl. olive oil

1 cup of chopped onions

1-2 cloves of minced garlic

1-2 cups sliced mushrooms

1-2 Quarts tomatoes (frozen or canned) or prepared spaghetti sauce

1-2 cups shredded sweet potatoes

1/4 – 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes or aleppo pepper for added zip

1 tsp. salt or to taste

freshly ground black pepper

Herbs – oregano, basil or whatever you like – I happened to find some spring onions in the garden and chopped a few to sprinkle on top.

Sauté onions in olive oil for a couple minutes over medium heat, add the garlic for another minute before adding the mushrooms.  Cook for a few minutes before including the rest of the ingredients.  Simmer the sauce for 30-60 minutes or until it’s the consistency you desire.  If you have fresh herbs you could save half of them to add in at the last minute just before serving over your favorite pasta. Top with shredded parmesan or your favorite dukkah (nuts, seeds and spices) blend.  Buon appetito!