To prove that you can eat locally grown food AND stay within your grocery budget, the Dixie Classic Fair Farmers Market and the City of Winston-Salem is sponsoring the $20 Challenge twice a month through September 2015.

I will stage a live cooking demonstration in which I will prepare a meal for a family of four for $20 using ingredients I buy at the market that day.

Did you not make it to the market on Saturday? Watch the $20 Challenge on WSTV -13 on Time Warner Cable (Channels 74.3 and 1303) OR subscribe to the City of Winston-Salem's You Tube channel.

The sweet potato gives the pasta color, a little bit of flavor and a whole lot of opportunity to have fun. Flecked with fresh chives, it's incredibly easy to make. Flour, eggs, and any flavor additions you have, if any. Get the whole family involved in kneading the dough and rolling it out in thin sheets and you'll have dinner in just a few minutes. A little secret: If you don't have a rolling pin, just use a wine bottle or a BIG can of beans to roll out the pasta sheets.

I want you to have fun with this episode. It's really not about a recipe. It's all about the technique. You can add any vegetable you like and use any homemade or jarred sauce. For those of you recipe sticklers, I've posted something to guide you in the right direction.

Sweet Potato Pasta Primavera

Yield: 8

Author: Nikki Miller-Ka of Nik Snacks

This month, I made Sweet Potato Pasta with a tomato primavera sauce. I wanted to have a little fun with this episode. Making pasta is easy. I caught the pasta-making bug years ago and I rekindled my love of handmade pasta last month and I continued my "knead" to have fresh pasta in this latest $20 Challenge episode. Watch the video for the technique. The sweet potato gives the pasta color, a little bit of flavor and a whole lot of opportunity to have fun. Flecked with fresh chives, it's incredibly easy to make. Flour, eggs, and any flavor additions you have, if any. Get the whole family involved in kneading the dough and rolling it out in thin sheets and you'll have dinner in just a few minutes. A little secret: If you don't have a rolling pin, just use a wine bottle or a BIG can of beans to roll out the pasta sheets.

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Pasta

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
2 Tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
1 cup mashed sweet potato

Pasta Primavera Sauce

1 carrot, peeled and cut into coins
2 cups fresh peas
1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 small squash, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
1 bunch kale, massaged and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 bell pepper, any color, julienne
3 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence
1/4 cup white or red wine
1/2 cup marinara or tomato sauce
Grated Parmesan (optional)

Instructions

Sweet Potato Pasta

Mound the flour in the center of a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour, add the eggs, salt and white pepper. Use a fork to beat together the eggs. Add the chives and mashed sweet potato. Begin to incorporate the flour starting with the inner rim of the well. As you incorporate the eggs, chives and the sweet potato, keep pushing the flour up to retain the well shape (do not worry if it looks messy). The dough will come together in a shaggy mass when about half of the flour is incorporated.
Empty the bowl onto a floured work surface or countertop. Start kneading the dough with both hands, using the palms of your hands. Fold the dough over itself and push the dough away from you using the palm of your hands. Add more flour, in 1/2-cup increments, if the dough is too sticky. Once the dough is a cohesive mass, remove the dough from the board and scrape up any left over dry bits. Lightly flour the board and continue kneading for 3 more minutes. The dough should be elastic and a little sticky. Continue to knead for another 3 minutes, remembering to dust your board with flour when necessary. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set aside for 20 minutes at room temperature. If using right away or for a minimum of 30 minutes in the refrigerator if using for later. The dough will keep fresh for up to 3 days after this step.
When you're ready, roll out the dough in thin sheets (as per the video) and cut and form as desired.

Calories

262.76

Fat (grams)

8.04

Sat. Fat (grams)

1.54

Carbs (grams)

37.26

Fiber (grams)

5.26

Net carbs

31.99

Sugar (grams)

5.72

Protein (grams)

9.52

Sodium (milligrams)

531.17

Cholesterol (grams)

70.62

Please consult a healthcare professional or dietician about nutritional needs for your diet. I am a communications professional, not a physician.

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$20 challenge farmers market pasta Spring sweet potatoes tomato sauce vegetables Winston-Salem

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About the author

Nikki Miller-Ka

Ms. Miller-Ka is a classically trained chef with a BA in English from East Carolina University and a Culinary Arts Associate Degree from Le Cordon Bleu-Miami.

Formerly, she’s worked as a researcher, an editorial assistant, reporter and guest blogger for various publications and outlets in the Southeast. She has also worked as a catering chef, a pastry chef, a butcher, a baker, and a biscuit-maker. Presently, she is a food editor, freelance food writer, and a tour guide for Taste Carolina Gourmet Food Tours.

UnknownJune 29, 2015 at 9:44 AM
That pasta looks so gorgeous!
Cookin' CanuckJune 29, 2015 at 11:17 AM
You just can't beat fresh pasta! I love the idea of the $20 challenge - it looks as though you were very successful with this pasta dish.
UnknownJune 29, 2015 at 12:25 PM
I love the $20 challenge, such a great way to show that it's not expensive to eat healthily. And that pasta looks amazing.
Paula-bell'alimentoJune 29, 2015 at 1:13 PM
Girl you nailed it! This dish looks delicious.
Back for SecondsJune 29, 2015 at 3:26 PM
Oh my goodness! That pasta looks so perfect! What a great recipe!
Martha @ A Family FeastJune 29, 2015 at 3:38 PM
That dish looks fantastic - and what a great challenge! I totally assume that it's expensive to buy local but you've proven otherwise.
Ginny McMeansJune 29, 2015 at 7:38 PM
Love the sweet potato homemade pasta. I bet it is delicious!
UnknownJune 30, 2015 at 1:29 AM
What a great challenge! It definitely doesn't sound easy. And this pasta looks amazing. :)
UnknownJune 30, 2015 at 8:56 AM
I love sweet potatoes and I love a good challenge. What a wonderful dish. Kudos!
Angie - Big Bears WifeJune 30, 2015 at 9:17 AM
I always love watching your $20 Market Challenges! MMM and YES to this pasta!!
Isabelle @ CrumbJune 30, 2015 at 10:23 AM
This dish is all kinds of yes! I'm loving all the bright colours and flavours, and the way it shows off all the wonderful veggies that are coming into season now.
Oh, and that pasta? Totally genius. I've used sweet potato to make gnocchi before, but I've never thought to use it for a tagliatelle style noodle. Must make this ASAP.
plasterer bristolJuly 14, 2015 at 2:18 AM
yum this sounds really nice. Thanks for putting this up.

Simon