Orecchiette with Sweet Potatoes, Kale and Caramelized Onions

With the first day of fall shortly approaching, we have been anticipating our favorite season and all of the culinary delights it brings- pumpkin everything, apple cider, butternut squash, kale, just to name a few of our fall favorites! Here in New England, apple orchards are open and ready for picking, and we cannot wait to bring home a peck or two sometime soon! 

Our "Mise en place"

One of our favorite fall combinations is sweet potatoes and kale, as featured in our Black Bean Sweet Potato Kale Quesadillas recipe! We found a new recipe combining these two ingredients in a simple and delicious dinner, Orecchiette with Sweet Potatoes, Kale and Caramelized Onions. The combination of sweet and savory made for an excellent flavor. 

Sweet potatoes roasting in the oven!

To season the dish, we included some freshly chopped rosemary from one of the little herb pots growing on our dorm windowsill. We are currently growing dill, basil and rosemary, and have been trying to incorporate them into any recipe we can think of! To add protein into the dish, we also mixed in some cannellini beans. 

Our miniature "herb garden"

As the weather cools down, we are excited to warm up with homemade soups and other comforting dishes such as this one. Stay tuned for many more fall recipes, featuring our farmers market finds of the season's freshest produce! 

Orecchiette with Fall Vegetables

Recipe by The DeLallo Blog

Ingredients

•     1 1lb package whole-wheat orecchiette
•     3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
•     1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
•     1 onion, diced
•     2 cloves garlic, minced
•     1 small bunch kale, leaves blanched
•     chopped rosemary, for garnish
•     grated parmesan, for garnish
•     salt and pepper, to taste

Cooking Directions          

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, sea salt, pepper and rosemary. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions.
3. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions begin to brown. 
4. Toss hot pasta, blanched kale leaves, and cooked sweet potatoes with onions in saucepan. Add pasta water, if desired, for sauce consistency. Cook together on medium heat for 2 minutes.
5. Serve with grated parmesan. 

Enjoy!