Sweet Potato "Mac"

Originally, this dish was called "mac n cheese".  Seeing what a connoisseur I used to be of mac n cheese dishes, I cannot bring myself to put this in the same category with those other ooey-gooey wonderful cheesy creations.

BUT...for not having a lick of cheese in it, fake or otherwise, this is still nice and creamy and oh so comforting!

If you're not a huge fan of the nutritional yeast flavor, just omit it.  All this is, really, is super smooth seasoned sweet potatoes and white beans mixed with cooked pasta.  It's not rocket science.

I served this on an on-call night, and had steamed broccoli as a side with some apple sauce.  All our bases were covered and our tummies were happy.

Sweet Potato "Mac"
serves 4-6

• 6 cups cooked short-pasta (one 14-16oz box)
• 1 1/2 c packed mashed sweet potatoes (3-4 cups chopped raw)
• 1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 c vegetable broth
• 2-4 TBLS nutritional yeast, depending on taste
• 3/4 t each: thyme & oregano
• 3/4 t mustard (optional)
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 2 t onion powder
• 1 TBLS lemon juice or white wine
• salt and pepper to taste
• extra broth or water to thin, if needed

-- Once you've mashed your potatoes, add the remaining ingredients into a food processor, or bowl and use an immersion blender to puree until it's all creamy.  Add more water or broth if needed.

-- Mix it with the pasta until coated nicely.  

Note: once I drained the pasta, I put it back in the pot and added the sauce to it and turned the heat on low to make sure it was heated evenly