There are certain recipes I develop and then blog about and then never make them again. These Paleo Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms are a good example. The recipe is super tasty, but it's not necessarily something I make on a regular basis (though I should make it again soon, because my 2013 photography was unfortunate).

And then there are other recipes that I make over and over again.

I posted these Sweet Potato Noodles with Spicy Pepita Gremolata only a couple of months ago, but have since made them at least three times as the recipe is written... in addition to some variations like this one that I'm going to share with you now.

At first I was hesitant to post this at all because the flavor profile is really similar to the original recipe, but it's just too good. I think you're going to like it.

This version has a slight Mexican vibe to it (rather than the Italian vibe), but it includes a lot of the same ingredients. Instead of the gremolata topping (which is like a rough-chopped parsley pesto), I sauced these noodles with a herb-ier version of this Cilantro-Lime Crema. I also added some protein (hey, chicken) and greens (hey, spinach).

Sweet Potato Noodles with Creamy Cilantro Green Sauce

paleo, whole30, gluten-free recipe (vegetarian with omissions) | serves 2

Sauce Ingredients

• 2 medium cloves garlic, sliced and sauteed for a quick minute in olive oil
• 1 cup cilantro
• 1/2 cup Italian parsley
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup sour cream (or mayo)
• zest and juice from half a lime
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• salt and pepper, to taste

Noodle Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes, spiralized
• 2-3 T olive oil
• salt
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded or diced (or another protein of your choice)
• toasted pepitas, if desired

Instructions

1. Mix up all the sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until creamy. Set aside.
2. In the same large pan that you sauteed the garlic, heat some olive oil on medium-high heat.
3. Once the oil is hot enough to sizzle, add the sweet potato noodles in a single layer, turning gently as needed. Cook them in 2-3 batches to ensure they cook evenly.. 
4. After about 7 minutes in the pan, they should be tender but not so soft that they are falling apart. Sprinkle with salt and set aside in a bowl while you cook the other batches.
5.  After the noodles are cooked and set aside, add the chicken and spinach to the pan to heat. Then add the noodles back so everything is nice and hot together.
6. Serve hot with the green sauce on top and sprinkle with pepitas (or cashews or sunflower seeds) if desired.

Tips

• You don't have to saute the garlic for the sauce, but raw garlic can sometimes be a little sharp so I like to mellow it out.
• Don't worry too much about the exact measurements in the sauce. Your eyeballs are the best measuring tools.
• Skip the chicken to keep this vegetarian-friendly.
• Use a paleo-friendly mayo instead of sour cream to keep this paleo and Whole30-compliant.