About recipe

During the holiday season our nutrition and kitchen teams get creative to prepare and deliver familiar, seasonal dishes that provide comfort to our critically ill clients while meeting dietary restrictions.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, cubed
• 3 cups whole wheat penne pasta
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 Tbsp enriched all-purpose flour
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 1/2 cups 2% milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 cup shredded asiago cheese
• 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 cups spinach

Preparation

1. Peel and cube sweet potato. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add sweet potato, and cook until tender (10-15 minutes). Drain and let cool. Place cooked sweet potato in a bowl and mash, using a splash of milk, until smooth.
2. Bring another pot of water to a boil with a pinch of salt and cook pasta as instructed for 6-8 minutes, until al dente. Drain and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
4.  Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt butter and add garlic over medium heat and cook for a minute. Whisk in flour and let cook another 1-2 minutes. Whisk in remaining milk, salt, and
   pepper; cook until mix begins to thicken. Remove from heat and whisk in sweet potato puree. Mix together the cheese and add in 3/4 of the cheese mixture to the sweet potato mix
5. In a large casserole dish, add pasta, spinach, and cheese sauce. Mix until spinach is slightly wilted and pasta is well coated with cheese sauce. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
6. Bake for 25-35 minutes until cheese on top is bubbling and browning.