The Ultimate Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta (Ready in 20 Minutes!)
A quick and flavorful vegetarian pasta dish featuring a homemade sun-dried tomato pesto. The pesto is easily made in a food processor by blending an entire jar of sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil with fresh garlic, basil, and grated Parmesan cheese. This rich, savory pesto is then tossed with freshly cooked penne pasta, using some of the reserved pasta water to create a perfectly coated, saucy meal.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 18 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Boiling, Blending
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 12 ounces penne pasta
- 1 (8.5-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne pasta and cook for about 8 minutes, or until tender but still firm to the bite (al dente).
- Before draining the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the starchy cooking liquid. Drain the pasta.
- While the pasta is cooking, make the pesto. In a food processor, combine the sun-dried tomatoes with their oil, the garlic cloves, salt, pepper, and fresh basil leaves.
- Blend until the tomatoes are finely chopped and the mixture forms a thick paste.
- Transfer the tomato pesto mixture to a large serving bowl and stir in the grated Parmesan cheese.
- Add the hot, drained pasta to the bowl with the pesto. Toss to coat, adding the reserved pasta cooking liquid a little at a time until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
- Season the pasta with additional salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Reserving about a cup of the starchy pasta water is a key step; it helps the pesto emulsify and cling to the pasta, creating a creamy sauce without adding cream.
- Using the oil that the sun-dried tomatoes are packed in adds a significant amount of flavor to the pesto.
- A food processor is the recommended tool for making the pesto quickly and easily.
- Ingredient substitutions are noted as being available on the source website.
Find it online: https://cookupjoy.com/sun-dried-tomato-pesto-pasta/