The sweet potato is a tropical plant and was brought to Italy by Columbus via South America. Today, the plant is grown in our home state of New Jersey as well as Japan, parts of Russia, and, of course South America. I’m a big fan of sweet potatoes and we use them in our (via Dr. K.) homemade ravioli, though our more everyday use includes roasting the potatoes in the oven with wild fennel seeds four sweet potatoes Italian style recipe.
Ingredients:
- 2-3 pounds of sweet potatoes, sliced into once inch cubes (note if you can find organic sweet potatoes they will make a big difference in terms of flavor and texture, including the skin)
- 1 large onion, again cut in one inch slices
- 4-5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 teaspoons of freshly ground fennel seed (use a mortar and pestle to grind the seeds)
- Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
Process:
Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes very well and cut per the above instructions (no need to remove the skin). Add the olive oil, onions, and sweet potatoes to a baking pan and mix the ingredients with your hands. Season with the ingredients with Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and fennel seeds. Bake in a 350 degree oven. Mix the ingredients every 10 minutes or so. Taste the potatoes at about the 25 minute mark or when you begin to see a golden brown color.
So happy the kids like it and you made the dish!