Go Back
Sun dried tomato pasta in a white ceramic bowl on marble with fresh basil and parmesan

Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

A quick and intensely savory pasta made with oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, garlic, and a simple cream sauce that comes together in 20 minutes.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 540
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz farfalle or penne pasta
  • 8 oz sun dried tomatoes in oil drained and roughly chopped, oil reserved
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 medium shallot finely diced
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 3 tbsp sun dried tomato oil from the jar
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • fresh basil for serving

Method
 

  1. Cook pasta in heavily salted boiling water until 1 minute shy of al dente. Reserve 3/4 cup pasta water before draining.
  2. Heat sun dried tomato oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute shallot for 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute more.
  3. Add chopped sun dried tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes, pressing some against the pan to break them down slightly. Stir in Italian seasoning.
  4. Reduce heat to medium-low. Pour in heavy cream and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and slightly thickened.
  5. Add drained pasta and toss for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in Parmesan until melted. Add pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
  6. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with fresh basil and extra Parmesan.

Notes

Always use the flavorful oil from the sun dried tomato jar as your cooking fat. Reserve pasta water before draining as it is essential for a silky sauce. Taste before adding salt since sun dried tomatoes and Parmesan are already quite salty.